Bid Memories Return
by Kookykrumbs
Summary: David Nolan remembers his fairytale life, but no one else in Storybrook does.  He goes to win back Mary Margaret who he now knows is his beloved Snow. But what happened at the toll bridge will make winning back his wife the challenge of his life. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Bid Memories Return**

**Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 6 is fair game.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.**

**Summary: Set some months after the events of Shepherd. David Nolan remembers his fairytale life as Prince Charming, but no one else in Storybrook has. He goes to win back Mary Margaret who he now knows is his beloved Snow. But what happened at the toll bridge will make winning back his wife the challenge of his life.**

**Chapter 1**

_Some months after David and Mary Margaret met at the Toll Bridge_

He remembered.

It hit him so hard. The memories poured in all at once, bombarding his senses which nearly brought him to his knees. But despite the enormity of what just happened, and the agonizing pain that ripped through his mind... he felt free. When he could breathe again, he composed himself, slipped on his shoes... and went to find his Snow.

_One hour later_

Mary Margaret was cuddled on her sofa, a mug of hot chocolate cradled in her hands. She had her favourite movie, The Sound of Music on. For whatever reason she couldn't focus on it. Actually, she hadn't been able to focus on much these days. She tried to reason with herself that it was just the dark winter days that had her feeling down most of the time. But she knew better. It wasn't the weather.

She was jolted from her thoughts with a knock on the door. She turned off the television before opening the door. Her heart stopped for a beat when she realized who was standing right in front of her. She tried her best not to look flustered.

"David... Umm... Hi, is everything alright?" Mary Margaret asked with genuine concern.

He didn't answer. He just stood there, staring at her as if in awe. It was as if he was examining her face. It made her more than a little self conscious.

"David?" Mary Margaret said trying to break him out of his daze.

"Sorry... I'm umm... Sorry. I just... I just had to see you." David shook his head, looking like he was trying to get the cobwebs out.

"It's past midnight... Are you alright?"

"Kathryn's not my wife." He blurted out.

Mary Margaret looked him up and down trying to check for any head injuries. He did look somewhat dishevelled. His motor skills seemed perfectly intact. She eliminated the possibility that he might have been drunk. The fact he didn't smell like liquor helped her with that one.

"What are you talking about? You told me the last time we met that you remembered everything and that's why you had to try to salvage your marriage."

"I know it's hard to understand. But I remember... More... Further back, I mean. Kathryn and the Mayor haven't been honest with me."

"David, I can't do this with you. You've made your choice." She said, slowly beginning to close the door.

David placed his foot gently against the door and took her hand in his. "Please Sn... Er... Mary Margaret, may I come in?"

She was mad at him. She couldn't think of any other way to describe how she felt. She was mad at him for raising her hopes so high then dashing them so cruelly. She felt horribly guilty for her thoughts, knowing he did what was right. And now, she felt mad because she knew that he knew she wouldn't be able to think straight with her hand in his. So without a word, she stepped aside, her signal for him to enter.

He closed the door behind him, following her to the dining table. She sat down first, waiting for him to do the same. She noticed that he was staring at her again. It made her really uncomfortable. She hadn't been expecting company other than Emma later on, so she didn't wear any make-up and her hair was a mess. She never considered herself a stunning beauty and him staring at her the way he was made her fidget.

"Look, David..." But she was interrupted by the door opening.

"Oh my god, you won't believe..." Emma stopped mid-sentence after seeing that she and her roommate had company.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked, unable to fully hide the disdain in her voice. At least that was how James interpreted her tone. Of course she was upset with him he thought. She and Snow were close he remembered.

"I just wanted to see... Mary Margaret." He answered, stumbling over Snow's name.

"At this hour?" Emma asked incredulously.

"Right... I just... We had a lot to discuss." His own answer sounding lame to him.

"Uh huh... Well... Mary can I have word?" Emma said, turning her attention to her friend.

"Emma, really it's ok..." But Mary was interrupted by Emma grabbing her arm and all but dragging her upstairs.

"You won't mind will you David, we have roommate things to discuss." Emma told him knowing well that he knew that they were going to discuss him but daring him to call her a liar.

When they disappeared up the stairs, James couldn't help but wonder why Emma seemed familiar to him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. So he wandered around the girls' apartment. He was nervous, sure. His wife was so close yet so far. She didn't remember who she was. She wouldn't believe him if he told her that she was Snow White and he was her husband. He had to be patient. He knew that as long as she didn't have her memory he would have a tough road ahead of him, especially with what happened a few months back. But she was worth it.

She was still beautiful. Her short hair suited her. It made her look younger somehow... More vulnerable. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms. He wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to beg for her forgiveness that he didn't "find" her sooner. He wanted to kiss all of her hurt away until the world ended. A hurt that he hated to admit he was a huge part of, albeit unintentionally.

The girls have been upstairs for a good twenty minutes now, obviously not finished with their "roommate" issues. He kept circling the living room trying to spend his excess energy when something at the corner of his eye caught his attention. It was a half opened box. A piece of cloth sticking out. He didn't understand why, but he took it out of its box. It couldn't be, he thought. If he lived to be a hundred he couldn't forget this piece of cloth. It had '_Emma_' embroidered on it. An image flashed in his mind of his wife sitting up in bed, lovingly finishing the small blanket.

_"Darling, I never knew you had a talent for embroidering... So you're set on naming our baby girl Emma then?" James asked, pointing at the name stitched on the small blanket._

_"I've always loved that name... Do you not like it?" Snow asked._

_"I think it's a lovely name... I really don't care what you name our daughter to be honest... I just hope that she's healthy and that she looks like you." James said, leaning over to kiss his wife._

_"Nuh uh... I picture her looking like you... Tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes with a mischievous grin." Snow said, shaking her head._

_"Bite your tongue, woman! No daughter of mine is gonna get saddled with my looks!"_

_"But I like how you look... So handsome... It adds to your charm."_

_"I'll settle for our child looking like me if it's a boy." James said._

_"Well, I'm sure we'll have many more after this one." Snow said, placing a hand on her stomach. "They can all take turns. This one will look like you, then the next can take after me and so on and so forth."_

The memory hit him hard. He looked back down at the blanket in his hand. He knew without a doubt that this was the same blanket that held his daughter the last time she was in his arms. And he knew without a doubt, that the woman who spoke to him with such disdain just a few minutes ago was his little girl. She was his tall, not-so-little girl, with eyes like her mother's. If Snow had her memory back, she'd be disappointed he thought. But at the moment he felt nothing but pride. He knew she didn't like him much, and it hurt, but seeing her all protective of her mother... The one she didn't know she had, brought a smile to his face. It also brought an ache in his heart because the two most important people in his life wanted nothing to do with him.

He couldn't help himself. He put the blanket back where he found it and followed Emma and Snow upstairs. He wasn't entirely sure what he intended to do. He stopped short just outside the door of the room where his two girls were conversing. He couldn't help but listen.

"Mary, I've never seen anyone look so deep in despair than you did the night you met up with David by the toll bridge." He overheard Emma say.

"I know... I let myself get too invested emotionally. That was my own fault. I knew that he was married, but I followed my heart instead of my head. I have no one to blame but myself." Snow answered.

"You know that saying 'fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice..." Emma started.

"I know, I know, shame on me." Snow finished for her. "But trust me, Emma, I'm wiser now. I remember the feeling of him choosing Kathryn over me... And while my mind tells me it ended as it should have... I'll admit, I don't remember experiencing anything more painful."

James had to call on all his will power not to barge in, shake his wife and tell her he didn't choose Kathryn... or rather Abigail, over her. Not in their world and not in this one. He wanted to rush in there and comfort her. But morbid curiosity kept his feet pinned to the floor.

"And even if he did leave his wife, or even if his wife's not really his wife like he claims... I just can't trust him not to hurt me again... Don't worry, Emma, David and I have no future together. I'll be the first to tell you that."

He forced himself to believe that those were Mary Margaret's words and not his beloved wife's. He had to believe because to think otherwise would damn near kill him. But the fact that those words were spoken in his beloved Snow's voice, broke his heart just a little more.

**To be continued?**

**Well folks, it's all up to you. I already have a good portion of the story mapped out. I just need to know how many of you are interested and see if it's worth my time to continue. I wrote this little piece because I needed a bit of self-therapy after my emotions were put through a blender with the Shepherd episode. Thanks for reading and if you don't mind, please review :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Bid Memories Return**

**Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 6 is fair game.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.**

**Chapter 2**

_Four days after the events in Chapter 1_

It was Friday evening, and James was by himself in Snow and Emma's apartment. He just got back from his old house with Kathryn to gather the last of his things. Surprisingly enough to him, his ex "wife" seemed to accept his decision to leave well enough. She seemed resigned to the fact that he's made up his mind. She thanked him for making an effort to make things work between them, but that deep down she'd known it was only a matter of time before he admitted to both of them his heart belonged somewhere else. James felt bad for Kathryn, knowing she was just a pawn in the Evil Queen's curse not unlike himself. But she wasn't his wife, and he didn't love her, nor did he owe her anything. He couldn't say the same for his Snow, however.

He thought he'd surprise his girls with a nice home cooked meal. The meal he was making he knew was Snow's favourite. He also admitted to himself that he was trying his hardest to get on Emma's good side. It was still a work in progress.

He thought back four days ago when he was able to draw enough sympathy from Snow to let him stay at her and Emma's apartment. He could still remember his daughter's piercing glare when Snow let him stay.

_"And even if he did leave his wife, or even if his wife's not really his wife like he claims... I just can't trust him not to hurt me again... Don't worry, Emma, David and I have no future together. I'll be the first to tell you that." Snow said._

_"Well, come on then Mary, we've left David downstairs long enough." Emma said. And before James could run back down the stairs, Emma opened the door and caught him eavesdropping red-handed. Uh oh._

_"Umm... Hi..." James said, at a loss for words. He could tell his daughter knew exactly what he was doing. He was praying that his wife kept the habit of giving people the benefit of the doubt. _

_"You were listening in on us, David?" Emma stated more than asked._

_"What? Uhh, no of course not! Not at all!" James said a little more forcefully than he'd meant to. "I was just about to knock and say... umm... goodbye."_

_"Goodbye?" Emma asked incredulously._

_"Umm... yeah. I figured I've overstayed my welcome... And anyway, it's past midnight and I haven't even found a place to stay yet... So I should uhh... go. Yeah, I'm umm... gonna go." James made an exaggerated turn and started walking down the stairs._

_"Where are you going?" Snow asked. James' heart lifted just a little with the sound of concern in her voice. He was ashamed to admit it, but he was going to play on her sympathies. Hey, he was a desperate man._

_"Oh you know, I've got no place to stay now so I guess I'll be staying at Granny's Bed and Breakfast until I find a place of my own."_

_"You're not going home?" To your wife, Snow it seemed wanted to add._

_"No. Like I said earlier, Kathryn's not my wife. That house was never my home. It was no wonder I never felt comfortable there."_

_"But you couldn't possibly afford to stay more than a couple of nights at Granny's. You don't have a job." He saw that his wife felt bad the moment the words came out of her mouth. "I meant, you're still recovering and..."_

_"No, no, Mary, you hit it right on the nail. He's broke." Emma interrupted, a smirk not unlike his own on her face. It saddened him that his little girl thought so little of him. What was worse was that it was his fault she thought of him that way._

_"Emma!" His wife admonished their daughter. Emma just shrugged._

_"I'm actually looking for a job right now. I've got some prospects it seems." James said, trying to defend himself. When the girls said nothing, he added, "Umm... Anyway, I'll get out of your hair."_

_"Wait!" Snow called after him. _

_Please, please, please ask me to stay, James thought! He slowly turned around, adding a little drama to the moment. "Yes?" He asked as innocently as he could._

_"Granny's Bed and Breakfast is a little pricey... Umm... We have a free couch if that's something you wouldn't mind." Snow said, a little hesitantly._

_"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose..." James prayed to whoever was listening that his wife would insist._

_"You see, Mary. He's got it taken care of." Emma interrupted._

_"No really, David you're not imposing. It would only be until you got back on your feet. Emma and I are hardly home these days anyway." Snow insisted._

_"Thanks so much Mary Margaret, I promise you won't regret it." James said taking both Snow's hands in his. He let go immediately when he noticed Emma glaring at him, not at all bothering to hide her contempt. James remembered the look Snow used to give him when he did something to annoy her. Emma really was her mother's daughter he mused._

_"I'll get you a fresh blanket, why don't you wait for us downstairs, David." Snow said. _

_"Sure, thanks." David answered, giving her his most dazzling smile, the one he knew his wife couldn't resist. _

_As he walked back down the stairs, he could hear Emma say to Snow, "Are you crazy? I thought you were trying to get over him?" James couldn't hear Snow's response, as his wife wasn't nearly as loud as his daughter. _

_He settled himself on the couch. This was a victory for him. A small one, but a victory no less. Living separately would make it near impossible for him to win Snow back because he was sure she'd go out of her way to avoid him. Living under the same roof meant she'd have to see him at least a few times a day._

James had to admit the last four days have been terribly difficult for him. To have his wife and daughter within arm's reach, and not be able to hold them or be the husband and father he wanted to be... He would rather slay a dozen dragons than suffer this way. His wife avoided him every chance she got.

The other morning he woke up at 6:30am just to catch Snow before she left for work. She was nowhere to be found. He later learned she had left a good half an hour before he woke up. When he went to ask Emma what time Snow's class started, she told him it started at 8:30am. Ouch. There really wasn't any other way to describe how much it stung that his wife would sacrifice sleep to avoid him. Never mind that she couldn't remember she was his wife... He was suddenly brought out of his thoughts with the kettle whistling.

He poured some of the water in the pot. He was making Snow's favourite, beef and lentil stew. At least, he was hoping it would still be her favourite. Who knew, maybe she's never even had it in this world. Either way, he hoped it might spark a memory in her. It certainly sparked a memory in him.

_"James you can't be here, if the dwarves come home and find you here with me..." Snow said._

_"They'll what?" James asked with a grin. "Come on, Snow. If anything they'll love me with this stew I'm making for all of you."_

_"I can't believe you travelled all the way here in secret to cook for me. How does a prince know how to cook anyway?" Snow asked incredulously. _

_"I'm a man of many hidden talents." James winked at her, while he grabbed some salt from the cupboard. _

_"I dread what your so called stew will taste like when it's done." Snow said, cringing. _

_"You wound me!" James said, "I'll have you know, I won cook of the year in my local fair for four years running."_

_"Now I know you're just bragging! It's beneath a prince to participate in the local fair."_

_"Ah, but there's so much you don't know about me! All in good time, I promise my sweet." James said, kissing the back of Snow's hand. _

_"Well, I guess I'll have to judge this stew of yours for myself." She said, as she took the wooden spoon and had a taste. "Oh my... This is amazing, James. Where in the world did someone like you learn to cook like this?"_

James' sweet thoughts were interrupted by the sound of keys turning in the lock. Emma walked in with some groceries in hand. James hurried to the door to help her carry them in.

"Thanks," Emma mumbled.

"No problem at all, I'm sure you've had a long day." James said a little too cheerfully.

"Is Mary home yet?" Emma asked.

"No, not yet." James answered.

"What's that smell?" Emma asked.

"Oh that, it's dinner. I'm making beef and lentil stew."

"You can cook?" Emma looked at him, obviously skeptical. Like mother like daughter James thought.

"Oh, it's not that hard really. Just a sprinkle of this and a dash of that, you know." James said, wanting to impress his daughter. "Why don't you freshen up, dinner should be ready in fifteen."

"What are you doing David?" Emma asked, sitting down on the dining table.

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"You know what I mean. You're obviously going out of your way to... what? What are you trying to accomplish?" Emma asked.

"I just wanted to do something nice for both of you. You've both been so kind to me. And I know after what happened, you don't have any reason to. I just wanted to."

"Look David, I know I've been less than welcoming with you. But Mary's my friend. She's the best friend I've ever had. And as pathetic as that sounds, considering I've only known her a few months, it's true. I will not allow you to hurt her again. For the life of me, Mary's kindness towards you is beyond my understanding. I don't think I could ever be so gracious to someone who did to me what you did to her."

"I know and I-"

"What will it take for you to leave her alone? Permanently." Emma asked.

"Pardon me?" James asked, not having quite comprehended everything she said.

"I will not let you take advantage of her feelings for you... Or take advantage of her innate kindness or her... Innocence. I mean, you must've noticed she's nowhere near as worldly as... well... as me." Emma said, lacking any of the previous contempt that usually laced her voice when talking to him. She said this in a very matter of fact way.

"Look Emma, if you knew me... Really knew me, then you'd know I'd rather die than hurt Sn... Errr... Mary Margaret... or either of you in fact." James said. "Look, I know I've made a mistake, but I was a confused man, and despite what I thought, all my memories weren't intact. I'm trying my hardest to make that up to her. If I could just press a reset button somewhere I would, but I can't. I can only work with what I have... And all I have is now and the future. And I know you hate me-"

"I don't hate you," Emma interrupted. "If I weren't so mad at you I'd actually like you."

This brought a smile to James' face, "Really?"

"But that doesn't change the fact that I don't trust you not to hurt her again..."

"I swear, that will never happen again!"

"It better not, because if it does, I'll be taking you back where we first found you... Except you won't be returned there alive." Emma said, ever so calmly.

Dear God, James thought... Did his daughter just threaten his life if he hurt his wife? He didn't know whether to feel pride that his daughter loved her mother with such fierceness, or feel dismay that she seemed to have no such compunction in ending his life.

"It won't ever come to that," James promised. "I'll drown myself beneath the toll bridge myself if I ever hurt her."

Emma smirked, "I'll hold you to that."

James couldn't help but smile... He felt like he and his daughter came to a sort of truce, albeit a fragile one. Their moment was interrupted when the door opened and his beloved Snow stepped in.

"Hi everyone, I was just stuck grading papers at work, I didn't mean to come home so late." Snow said. James knew well that she could've graded those papers at home, but that she was avoiding him. "What smells so good?"

"David made dinner for us." Emma said, a hint of a smile on her face.

"Oh, thanks... but you didn't have to." Snow said to James.

"I wanted to... here have a seat. Dinner's just about to be served." James said, pulling out a chair for Snow.

"So, how's the job hunting going?" Snow said, obviously trying to make idle conversation.

"It's going great, in fact I was offered a position as a sort of maintenance handyman for the local elementary school nearby." James said, with a grin on his face.

"But there's only one elementary school nearby." Snow said, realization beginning to dawn on her.

"I know. I start Monday."

**To be continued...**

**First of all, I want to thank everyone who took the time to review my last chapter. The words of encouragement totally motivated me to get this update to all of you as quickly as possible. For those of you who write yourselves... I think you'll agree with me that reviews (good or bad) are food for the writer's soul. Please let me know what you think of this latest chapter. Also, if you have any suggestions please feel free to bring it up. Thanks again!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: Bid Memories Return**

**Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 6 is fair game.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.**

**Chapter 3**

_Monday_

Mary Margaret watched the last of her students walk out of her classroom for their lunch break. She opened her drawer and pulled out her cheese sandwich. She placed it on her desk and for several moments just stared at it. She thought back on the rollercoaster week she's had beginning with David dropping by her apartment unexpectedly.

What in the world had she been thinking? She offered to let him stay? Never mind that Emma was glaring at her the whole time, obviously discouraging her. But deep down, she couldn't bear the thought of him so alone with few resources at his disposal. She hated to admit it, but he meant something to her... He meant more to her than was prudent. And that's what frightened her... Frightened her terribly. She looked out the window for a moment and noticed that her vague reflection sported a woman with dark circles under her eyes. For the last week she woke up every morning before the sun was up, making sure to leave the apartment before he woke up. She was a coward and she knew it... She was avoiding him. But she couldn't help it... he wrecked havoc on her senses. She was afraid if she spent any time at all alone with him, she might just cave.

In the past week, David's been nothing but... Charming. Yes, that was the word to describe him. He set up a movie night for her, Emma and himself, complete with popcorn, candies and pop. Then the other night he prepared dinner for both her and Emma, a dinner she had to admit was heavenly! The other day he bought her a novel, The Naughty Madame Nastasia. Oh, that was one to remember alright. One night before going to bed, she flipped open the book and began to leaf through it. It wasn't too long before she came across a section that justified the novel's title. She remembered snapping the book closed, feeling completely embarrassed despite the fact she was alone in her room. After a few moments, she opened the book again and continued reading. Madame Nastasia had indeed been naughty. After skimming through a few more pages, she came across a small post-it stuck in between the pages. In David's chicken scratch, it said "I caught you!" It was the first time she had laughed since walking away from the toll bridge all those months ago.

She was afraid to admit that although David broke her heart... it seemed he might be the only one who could put it back together again. Nothing made sense when it came to David. She felt this connection with him that she couldn't possibly have with someone she's only known a few months. But then again, she felt a connection with Emma the moment she met the woman. She's never been this confused in her life.

"Does your sandwich not look so appetizing?" Mary Margaret looked up to see David standing outside her classroom door, a paper bag in his hand.

"David, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"I work here now, remember?" He said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Of course... I'm sorry, what I meant was..." Mary Margaret didn't know how to finish her sentence because she herself didn't know what she meant.

"It's ok," David said, chuckling. "I just stopped by so we could have lunch together."

"Lunch?"

"Yeah, I'm new to my job here and don't know too many of the staff... and you know, even if I did know the staff... heck even if they were all my relatives, I'd still want to eat lunch with you instead of them."

"Oh, David... must you say such things?" Mary Margaret said, feeling caught off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"I hate it when you make me feel like... like I matter. It makes me forget..."

"Forget what?"

"It makes me forget that I made promises to myself." She said sadly.

"Would those promises include never allowing yourself to get close to me again?" David asked.

She didn't answer him. She just looked down at her lunch again, avoiding his gaze. After an awkward moment, she spoke up, "Why pick this job, David? You could've gotten any of a dozen jobs out there, a lot of them paying so much better than this one."

"Look Mary, I'm not hiding the reason why I'm here. There's only one reason I'm spending my days screwing in light bulbs and replacing door knobs for near minimum wage. It's you. I need you in my life and not just as a friend. And before you say anything, I know I've made a mess of things between us. I'm going to do whatever it takes to win back your trust... among other things." David said. "And I promise, when I succeed in that, I'll get myself a better job, one that'll support us both comfortably."

Near hysterical giggles erupted from Mary Margaret at the absurdity of his statement. "Good God, David! Support us both? You do realize that sounds a lot like a promise a husband would make to his wife?"

"I know." David said simply.

"Well get it out of your head. We're nowhere near an altar I assure you." Mary Margaret said, clearly flustered.

Perhaps sensing that she was becoming uncomfortable with their conversation, David changed the subject. "Anyway, I didn't come here to upset you or anything. Like I said, I just came by to have lunch. I got us Chinese take-out from Mulan's restaurant down the street." He pulled their food out of the paper bag he had in his hand. Mary Margaret knew he was making a concession for her. He obviously wanted to continue the topic. She decided to accept his olive branch offering.

"So what'd you bring? Well, I suppose whatever it is it has got to be more appetizing than this plain cheese sandwich I brought."

"Well, if you weren't so determined to run out for work at such an ungodly hour, I could've prepared you a decent lunch. Do you like, check what time I set my alarm clock before going to bed? Because the earlier I set it, it seems the earlier you leave." David said, half chewing on his food. "Like this morning, I know you did it to avoid walking with me to work."

"Am I that obvious?" Mary Margaret asked, ruefully.

"Yes," David answered. And after a second of silence, they both laugh. Mary Margaret feeling almost silly with how far she went to avoid him.

David continued on, "And besides, lack of sleep isn't good for you. If anything, you're beginning to look like a racoon with those eye bags you've developed."

Mary Margaret couldn't help but giggle at David's description of how she looked. "Don't I feel down right homely right now."

"Nonsense... you're the fairest of them all." He said, smiling at her. Mary Margaret couldn't help it, a blush crept up her face. When will she stop letting him affect her that way, she mused. Before she could say anything, she heard the bell ring to signal the end of her lunch break.

"Well, I should get going before your class comes in." David said, getting up.

"You're done for the day right?" She asked.

"I'm only here part time in the mornings. So yeah, I'll be taking off."

"Ok, well thanks for lunch. It was wonderful." David just smiled at her.

_Three Hours Later_

Mary Margaret was putting away the last of her papers. It had been a long day, but she felt somewhat lighter after spending lunch with her David. Wow, since when did she consider him _her_ anything she wondered. She tried shaking off the thought. She locked her drawer and went to grab her purse. As she was reaching for her purse, she heard someone call her name. She turned towards the door to see the town mayor.

"Miss Blanchard may I have a word." And she wasn't asking either.

"Of course, Madame Mayor... is it about Henry?" Mary Margaret asked, tentatively.

"I told you before that you two do not belong together. What part of that did you not understand?" Regina asked, her voice dripping with venom. She obviously wasn't referring to Henry.

"I... I didn't do anything." Mary Margaret answered.

"Oh? So you're telling me you had nothing to do with him leaving his wife? You have nothing to do with the fact that David is now living with you and that tramp roommate of yours?"

"I offered him a place to stay as he obviously wasn't going back to her. And don't you dare talk about Emma that way, you don't know her!" Mary Margaret didn't understand the fierce urge she had to defend her roommate.

"I know enough. I know that you ruined the lives of several people because you had a crush!" The mayor accused.

"I didn't break up his marriage!" Mary Margaret said, trying desperately to get the mayor to see reason. "I've avoided him for months, and one night he just showed up at my door unexpectedly."

"Yes! And you took that as an opportunity to drag him to your bed!"

"No! I would never!" Mary Margaret all but yelled, appalled at the accusation being thrown her way.

"You don't owe her an explanation, Mary Margaret." David said, a measured calmness in his voice. He made his way from the door to stand between her and the mayor, as if protecting her.

"I believe the topic of my life is none of your business, Madame Mayor." David said, his voice dripping with scorn.

"Everything that happens in this town is my business, Mr. Nolan. The actions of that... of that..." Regina said, pointing at Mary Margaret.

"Don't you dare accuse Mary Margaret of being a home wrecker. You have some nerve coming in here! I know how many lives you've ruined. I know you have no such qualms about destroying innocent people's lives to get what you want! You and I both know Kathryn's not my wife... She never was. And you made me believe she was because you're an evil, self-serving..."

"Be careful, Mr. Nolan. You forget who you're talking to. I have a responsibility to make sure characters like _her_," she said, glaring at Mary Margaret, "don't spread their immoral ways in this town... Your days as a teacher here are numbered Miss Blanchard. And you, Mr. Nolan, perhaps you should choose your words carefully."

Mary Margaret covers her mouth in shock.

David stepped closer to the mayor, using all of his towering height advantage to intimidate her. "I've chosen my words carefully, Madame Mayor. Perhaps you should have done the same. If you ever come near me or mine again, I'll make you regret the day you were born."

"Do not presume to threaten me!" The mayor said, refusing to back down.

David bent his head down slowly and spoke ever so slowly and softly, "If you ever try to harm my family, I will kill you. And that's not a threat."

A look of dawning realization crossed the mayor's face. A realization of what... Mary Margaret wasn't sure. And what family was David referring to? A look of shocked panic crossed the mayor's face, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. She turned to leave, but just before she left, she turned around and left a parting shot for David.

"I've taken everything you've ever held dear from you before... Don't think I can't do it again... _Your__Majesty_." And with that final address, the mayor left the room.

Mary Margaret let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding. Tears fell from her eyes that she didn't even realize she was holding back. Her hands were clammy and shaking. Before she knew it, she was enveloped in David's arms.

"Shh... it's ok... it's ok. I won't let her hurt you." David said, trying to soothe her.

Mary Margaret pushed David back. "Are you crazy, David? You just threatened the mayor! You just threatened Regina Mills!"

"Darling, calm down."

"Calm down? Do you have any idea what she's capable of? For God's sake, she's the mayor! The mayor David! And you're just the school handyman! You've lost your mind... or maybe I have! Oh God! And now I'm going to lose my job." Mary Margaret said, putting her head in her hands.

"Honey, the mayor and I have a history you know nothing of... Trust me, you won't lose your job... That evil witch has bigger problems to deal with... trust me."

"And what are you doing here anyway? Your shift ended hours ago!"

"I came back to walk you home." David said, almost sheepishly.

Finally finding an inner sense of calm, Mary Margaret realized that she didn't understand half of what was said between David and the mayor in their confrontation. "David, what did she mean when she said she's taken everything from you before? And what family were you referring to?"

"It's complicated, Mary Margaret. I just need you to trust me. I'll tell you everything, but all in good time." David said, kissing her on the forehead. "Come on, let's go home and not think of that witch anymore for the rest of the day at least."

David guided her out of the classroom, his hand resting on the small of her back. They got in the elevator and he went ahead and pressed the button for the first floor. Mary Margaret was so emotionally exhausted she just did what felt natural and rested her head on David's shoulder as they waited to reach their floor. But just before they did, the elevator jerked and the lights flickered.

"David, what happened?" Mary Margaret asked, instinctively reaching for his hand.

"I think the elevator is jammed." David said, repeatedly pressing on the elevator button. "Umm... I think we're stuck."

Mary Margaret sighed, "Some handyman you are."

**To be continued...**

**I just wanted to thank everyone who was kind enough to take a few seconds out of their busy lives to review my story. It truly motivates me to get these updates to you sooner when I know people are enjoying my work, or at the very least appreciate it. Please keep those reviews coming and feel free to give me any suggestions you may have. Remember, I have the story outline, not the story itself so if you have a great idea, it's not a huge job for me to weave it in the story. Cheers everyone!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: Bid Memories Return**

**Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 6 is fair game. Also spoilers for Episode 7 in my comments below.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.**

**Chapter 4**

James was mentally kicking himself for giving away to the mayor that he remembered who he was. He was usually so good at controlling his temper. But when he caught her attacking his wife the way she was, he completely lost it. It was pent up anger that just came pouring out of him in waves. He was just thankful she didn't seem to have any of her magic powers here in this world. James sighed.

Snow just got off her cell phone with the school secretary letting her know that they were stuck in the elevator. She was told that help was on its way. James noticed how tired she looked, so he offered her his jacket. She gave him a confused look as he handed it to her.

"What's this for, David? It's not cold in here." Snow asked him.

"It's so you can sit and not get your skirt dirty... Place it on the floor and sit on it." James answered.

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't want to dirty your jacket. Besides, it's the only one you have." Snow said.

"I can always wash it. Besides, I insist." James grabbed the jacket back from her hand. Before she could protest he drops the jacket on the floor, bends down to spread it, and motions for her to sit."

His wife rolled her eyes, but perhaps realizing that the jacket was already dirty, slumped to the floor to sit on it. James grinned, knowing he won that one. He decided to sit next to her so he could be closer to her.

A couple of minutes went by in silence. His wife checked her watch again for the third time since they had gotten stuck. Afterwards, James noticed that Snow was playing with her ring... Or rather _his_ ring. He's observed in the last week they've been living together that she had a tendency to do that whenever she was nervous or was deep in thought. He remembered the shock he felt when he first noticed it on her finger after he regained his memories... his true memories. He couldn't believe she still had it. He knew that like everything else, she had forgotten the true history of the ring, but it still brought him comfort in that it was on her finger and no one else's. In that sense, even during the time they were separated, she still had a part of him with her.

"I noticed you umm... you have a habit of fiddling with your ring when you're nervous." James decided to break the silence. Perhaps if he could get her to think of her ring in more than just a passive way he might trigger some of her memories.

"Oh, this old thing? Yeah, I guess." Snow answered, quickly glancing down at her finger.

_James walked into his and Snow's bedroom. The last of their wedding guests finally just left and James couldn't wait to get his new bride alone. He spotted his wife sitting by the window, staring at the mountains and aimlessly fiddling with her engagement ring. James quickly crossed the room in a couple of strides and enveloped his wife in his arms. _

_"You know, darling... It worries a new husband when his wife looks so unhappy on her wedding night."_

_"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to spoil the evening... I just..." Snow said, trying to grasp for the right words to describe her feelings._

_"You're scared about what she said, aren't you?" James asked, gently caressing his wife's back. _

_"How could I not be? You don't know her, James. She doesn't make idle threats!"_

_"I don't want you to stress over this, do you hear me? I'm your husband now. It's my job to make sure you're safe. I'll have the entire kingdom on high alert, I'll even-"_

_"And it's not just that..." Snow interrupted._

_"What is it?" James asked, concern etched in his features._

_"It's not just us two anymore... Oh James... I'm pregnant." Snow said, pulling away from him._

_James took a moment to absorb Snow's news. Pregnant? It was definitely unexpected. Granted, it wasn't impossible... But he supposed the old saying that once was all it took definitely held true in their case. But once the shock of her news wore off, he found himself with a goofy grin on his face. Perhaps it wasn't the best time, but he couldn't help it. James carefully approached his distraught wife._

_"Honey... I... that's the best wedding gift you could've given me." James said, gently taking his wife's hands in his._

_"We didn't plan it, James! How could we bring a child into this world with the queen's threat hanging over us like this? It's not fair to our child." Snow said, tears collecting in her eyes._

_"Listen to me, we can't live our lives basing our decisions on what the queen may or may not do." James said, taking his wife's face in his hands. "We are going to be the best parents ever to this little one... we'll make sure he or she will never want or need for anything."_

_"I know you're right... I just... I'm scared. Yesterday, when I found out I was pregnant, I was so happy I thought my heart would burst. And after today I feel like my heart just broke."_

_Snow turned away from her husband and was once again staring out the window. She began fiddling with her ring again. James reached for her left hand to stop her from fidgeting. Deciding to change the subject, James said, "You know darling, for someone who claims that ring isn't her style, it seems you've taken quite the shine to it."_

_His wife smiled at him, "I've always liked it... and the moment I put it on it felt perfect. I just said all that because at the time you were going to give it to someone else."_

_"I was never going to give it to her you know... to Abigail. Even before I met you, I had no intention of doing that. I was told to give it to the woman I loved. I just wanted it back because it was the last thing I had of my mother's." _

_"I know," Snow said, leaning into him. "And I hope, one day... I get the chance to give this ring to my own child."_

_"You will... I promise."_

"And to be honest, I don't even remember where this ring came from. I've had it for as long as I can remember. I don't ever take it off... I've just had it for so long I just feel... incomplete without it."

James smiled at that, "Well, I hope one day you remember who gave it to you."

James noticed his wife check her watch again for like the fourth time in the last forty five minutes. She did look a little restless.

"You got some place you need to be?" James asked.

"Huh?"

"Your watch... you check it every few minutes."

"Yeah, I just... I was supposed to meet up with a friend at six o'clock later for drinks and it's already quarter to five. He's hard to get a hold of because of his work."

James was silent for a moment. "Umm... 'he'?"

His wife nodded. "Yeah... You remember Dr. Whale?"

"Whale?" James practically spat out the word. "Since when have you and he been..."

"It's not what you think. He's a friend... err... sort of. We went on one date... it was shortly before you came out of your coma... And that was that." Snow said, obviously wanting to end this line of conversation.

James, never before having felt jealousy where his wife was concerned refused to let go of the topic. "If 'that was that' then why are you meeting up with him for 'drinks'?"

"He's my friend!"

"Oh, your 'sort of' friend?" James said, sarcastically.

"Yes! I mean, no... I just mean that... well, if you must know he's been here for me... sort of."

"Sort of?" James repeated. "Well, I can't imagine he's much of a friend if you have a tendency to use 'sort of' whenever you speak of him." Deep down, James knew he was being difficult. And even deeper down, he knew he had no right to speak to her this way... not as long as she didn't remember who she was. But damn it all, she was his wife and he's not a man to share!

"He was enough of a friend that he was there the night... the night you made your choice. And yes, I'm grateful to him for that." Snow said.

"Mary, if I could go back to that night and change what happened I would. And I admit, it eats away at me that you found comfort with another man, a man that wasn't me. And I wish it _had_ been me." It was as if Snow didn't hear him.

"You have no idea how much you hurt me... I admit, I had feelings for you almost from the beginning. I tried desperately to ignore it, knowing you were married. And so I avoided you... I even quit my position as a volunteer at the hospital. All so I could keep you out of my mind."

"I know, I-"

"But you made it so impossible. You pursued me relentlessly, dangling dreams before me like candy to a child. You had me hoping for a happily ever after with you. Granted, it was just as much my fault... I knew that deep down it was an impossible situation, but I went ahead and decided to meet you by the bridge anyway. David... the night we met up by the toll bridge, when you told me you couldn't be with me, you not only broke my heart and my dreams, but you made me doubt myself as a person." Snow said, looking away. "Because, what decent woman, I thought, would be disappointed that a man would choose his wife over her."

"No Mary Margaret don't even think that! You're the most decent, honest, kindest woman I know. Don't for a second think that what happened was your fault, the blame lies entirely on my shoulders."

"You and I both know that's not true-"

"But it is!"

Snow sighed, "I'm not going to argue anymore with you. That night, I made a promise to myself that I would never allow another man so much power over me. I told myself I'd move on and that I wouldn't let you destroy my dreams of love, marriage and children. I promised myself that in the end, you would be nothing but a footnote in my life."

"So you decided to find your dreams with Dr. Whale?"

"Oh for God's sake, David! He's just a friend... a colleague in fact up until I quit volunteering at the hospital... and we both know whose fault that was." Snow said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, I'm sure friendship is not what he's looking for!"

"Jealousy isn't a good look on you, David... You know, let's suspend reality for a second and say I did give us another chance... Is this what I have to look forward to? You losing it because I'm seeing a friend that happens to be male?"

"Well that's the thing isn't it, you've made it quite clear you're never going to give us another chance. We're not in a very good place right now... literally _and_ figuratively. Look... I wouldn't feel this insecure if things weren't so fragile between us." James said, completely frustrated.

"Have you stopped to ask yourself why I'm so set on not giving us another chance?" Snow whispered.

James didn't respond right away. He knew the answer, but it just hurt him to voice it aloud. "Because you don't trust me."

"Not with my heart." Snow answered, "How can I have a future with you when you chose another woman over me? It's not something I can easily forget because you made me dinner, or bought me a new book, or surprised me at work with lunch. Who's to say it won't happen again?"

"I did not choose Kathryn over you... In parting with you that night, I left behind all my dreams to do what I thought was right. I chose to stay with her because I could love you only in honour. You've instilled in me the need to be a better man." James said, his voice wavering, "I am asking you, Mary Margaret... No, I'm begging you, please don't let me spend eternity suffering for my one mistake. That would be the cruellest fate for me, and I know you're not cruel."

"Can you guarantee you'll never break my heart again? Because I don't think you can." James could see that what progress he made was losing out to his wife's fear in getting her heart broken again.

"Let me ask you something, could you honestly say your heart... your life would be complete without me? Could you picture yourself living your dreams happily with someone else?" James asked, pleading with her, "Because if your answer to those questions is 'no' then you owe it to yourself to give us another chance."

"If I let you in again, and you change your mind again... where would that leave me?" Snow asked.

"I promise you, that is a question you'll never have to find the answer to."

Snow was quiet for a few moments. She was obviously waging a silent war within herself. James knew, deep down she wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her. He prayed to whoever was listening that the answer he wanted to hear from her didn't lose out to fear and pain.

Finally, it seemed she had arrived at some conclusion. "You have to promise me we'll take it slow." Snow said, reaching for his hand.

There _was_ a God! James couldn't help it but his heart was racing, "Absolutely! As slow as you want. We won't do anything unless it's what you want. I promise."

"Ok then... we'll take it slowly." Snow said, embracing him.

It was a good thing James was sitting because the relief he felt was enough to make his knees buckle had he been standing. He realized this was the first time since he awoke from his coma that his wife initiated any contact between them. The feel of her in his arms was like having a piece of heaven. He etched the memory in his mind, how soft she felt, how she faintly smelled of lilacs, how her hair tickled his chin, and the feel of her arms around him. He was so overwhelmed with emotions he couldn't speak for several moments.

He didn't remember how long they just sat there holding each other. It didn't matter. James was happy. The first time he felt happy in a very long time. Years, if he had to count. His war was nowhere near done, and he knew that. But he won today's battle, and he'd savour it. There was still a lot of work to be done, and questions to be answered. In fact, there was indeed one question that he was still finding troublesome.

"Sooo... you're not going to meet up with Dr. Whale anymore tonight are you?"

And his wife just laughed at him.

**To be continued...**

**First of all, I am beyond pissed (imagine the hiss in that) that Mary Margaret slept with Dr. Whale as it was alluded to in Episode 7. The guy just looks so sleazy! He reminds me of a used car salesman. Larry from Three's Company had more class than that guy! I just can't get over that. I can't understand why it's such a big deal to me, considering David's probably getting it on with his 'wife' at the same time... but still...**

**Anyway, as for my above chapter, I had it so that Snow White got knocked up before her wedding. I'll attribute that to my own creative license. This was by far the most difficult chapter for me to write. I wanted them to start on a path of getting back together, but I didn't want Snow to fall in James' arms just because he was charming (so to speak). There had to be consequences for his actions at the toll bridge. Anyway, I hope I hit the right balance. I also promise that the next chapter, which I'm basically almost finished is a lot more light hearted and fluffy in tone. And once again, a huge thanks to everyone who took the time to read this, and a huge thanks as well to those who've taken the time to leave me a review. Remember, reviews motivate me to write more, and the more reviews I get the faster the updates will be. Cheers!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: Bid Memories Return**

**Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 6 is fair game. (I may mention events from Episode 7 in my comments after the story, but nothing within the story.)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.**

**Chapter 5**

_Two Weeks after the elevator incident_

James gently placed the baby mobile onto the coffee table, carefully balancing it so it didn't tip over. The moment he had saved up enough money, he went back to Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop and purchased Emma's mobile. It cost him a pretty penny, but he couldn't bear the thought of Rumpelstiltskin being in possession of something that belonged to his family. And he had hoped that it might help jog some of his wife's memories. He admitted being frightened in Mr. Gold's presence, knowing who he truly was. He went into the store and made sure not to stare at anything other than the mobile. He didn't want to risk any other curse befalling him.

There was an hour and a half before Snow's class finished so he had some time before he went to pick her up. She still insisted he not waste his afternoon picking her up but he had a feeling she looked forward to it each day as much as he did. He had to admit, he and Snow have made a lot of progress since their heart to heart in the elevator. They were going slowly for sure. And he admitted it was difficult having his wife sleep under the same roof as him but not in the same bed. He missed the closeness they shared. But all in good time, he reminded himself.

He had an hour and a half to kill and he wondered what he should do to fill the time. Snow was at work and the same with Emma. He figured he'd take a quick shower and perhaps have a power nap afterwards. Yeah, that sounded good. He grabbed his towel and made his way to the washroom.

He opened the washroom door and got quite the shock when he saw Emma, yes his daughter, step out of the tub in nothing but her birthday suit. For a split second they both stared at each other in silent, utter horror, then all hell broke loose!

"Get out! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Emma screamed, at the same time ripping the shower curtains from their hinges using them as a substitute towel.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I thought I was alone." James said, wanting to gouge his own eyes out.

"Close your eyes!" Emma yelled.

"Right, I'm sorry! I wasn't looking at you... Just your face... I swear!" James said, practically stumbling over his own feet in a desperate bid to get out of the washroom. He heard Emma slam the door behind him.

"Don't you knock?" Emma yelled from behind the door.

"I didn't hear anyone in there... And usually you're at work at this hour... I'm so sorry!" James said, still horrified with what he had to see. "Why didn't you lock the door?"

"I thought _I_ was alone!"

A few minutes later, Emma walked into the living room where James was sitting on the couch still red-faced.

"So, see anything you liked?" Emma said, sarcastically.

"I swear, I didn't! I meant, I did, but I didn't look! I meant-"

"Save it, David. I hope you don't make it a habit of walking in on naked women." Emma said, smirking.

"Absolutely not! I would never-"

"Look, don't have an apoplexy. It was partly my fault, I didn't lock the door. Sorry, I overreacted. You just surprised me. You're just lucky it wasn't Mary in the shower. She would've been mortified... You know how she is." Emma said, chuckling.

"Umm... Yeah."

James wished it _had_ been his wife. At least then, it would've been something he'd seen countless times before. Granted, he'd seen his daughter naked the day she was born, but she'd been no bigger than a football at the time. Just another reminder to him that she was no longer his little girl. He decided to skip his shower entirely. He needed a drink.

_A little over an hour later_

James walked out of the Storybrooke jewellery store, his new purchase sitting safely in his jacket pocket. He had first seen the earrings several weeks ago, and immediately thought of Snow and how lovely it would look on her. When he got his paycheque today, he set aside some money for the baby mobile, some to help his girls out with the rent, and then used the rest of it for his wife's present. There wasn't a special occasion or anything. He just wanted her to have it.

With a smile on his face, he made his way to the school. The children were all gone, and only the staff were left behind at this hour. He went directly to the second floor where Snow's classroom was. He made a mental note to take the stairs this time. When he reached her classroom, she was hunched over her desk going over some of the children's homework.

"Long day?" James asked, a smile on his face.

Snow looked up from her work and gave him a tired smile. "Oh yeah... I mean, I love children, but they can be a handful sometimes."

"But you're wonderful with them anyway. So, are you ready to go?"

"Yes, and again you shouldn't have cut your afternoon short picking me up here. I mean, you work here in the morning, then you go home then come back again? It's a bit of a waste of your time."

"Are you kidding me? It's the highlight of my day." James said.

Snow just blushed. "I was just done, let me get my purse."

"I umm... I was thinking we should do something fun before going home. After all, it's Friday and you don't have to go to bed early tonight. What do you say? May I take you out on a date?" James said, half teasingly.

Snow gave him one of her dazzling smiles. She reached for one of his hands and James noticed she was becoming more and more bold with him as the days went by, "What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking, how about we go ice skating?"

"Ice skating? Oh, I don't know, I'm not very good..." His wife said, obviously a little tentative about the idea.

"You don't need to be. I'm pretty decent at it and I'll be beside you the whole time. Come on, they just opened the outdoor rink down on Main not too long ago. It'll be fun! I promise, I won't let you fall."

Snow looked at him a little skeptically. "Are you sure?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die." James said, making an exaggerated cross over his heart.

Snow sighed, "How do I let you talk me into this... Alright, lead the way."

_Two hours later_

Snow slipped for the umpteenth time and for the umpteenth time James caught her in his arms. He wanted to pat himself on the back for his brilliant idea. He knew she couldn't skate very well, and he took advantage of that opportunity to always have her in his arms.

"I swear, I'll never get good at this." Snow said with a sigh.

"You're doing fine, you're starting to get the hang of it." James said, chuckling.

"Don't laugh at me, I told you I couldn't skate." His wife said giggling.

"I'm not laughing at you." James said, his arm around his wife. "I'm merely chuckling at how cute you are, with your red nose and rosy cheeks. Say, why don't we take a break?"

"Sure, I'd like the feeling of solid ground under my feet again." Snow answered.

James left his wife sitting at one of the wooden benches near the food stands. He went to get each of them a hot dog and pop. He went back to her and they both ate in comfortable silence. After a few minutes, he noticed she was shivering slightly.

"You cold, darling?" James asked. He didn't wait for an answer, but moved closer to her and wrapped her in his arms.

"Hmm... That feels wonderful." Snow said, practically purring in his arms.

"I know... I meant, are you warmer now?" James said, grinning.

"Much. Thanks."

"I've been meaning to find the right time to give you this." James said pulling out a jewellery box from his jacket pocket. "I've umm... been nervous all day."

"What is it?" Snow asked.

"It's just a little something. I saw it, and I thought of you immediately." James opened the small box to reveal two silver, diamond embedded snowflake earrings.

His wife let out a soft gasp, "Oh David... they're gorgeous!"

"You like them?" James asked, hopeful.

"Of course, but I... David, they must've cost a fortune, I couldn't possibly accept these." Snow said, handing them back.

"Oh, but you have to. They're perfect for you." James insisted.

"But David, you just got a new job and these are expensive." His wife argued.

"I can't put a price on how I feel for you. Here, try them on." He said, taking each earring out for her.

She tried them on then asked, "Well, how do I look?"

"Gorgeous." James said simply. His wife blushed. He noticed she did that a lot with him which he found so endearing.

She was so beautiful, sitting there wearing her new earrings, looking so shy. James couldn't help himself, he lifted her chin slightly with his finger. He leaned into her, inching his face closer to hers ever so slowly, giving her a chance to turn away if she wanted. When she didn't, he kissed her on the lips. She froze for the quickest of moments, then she kissed him right back, giving him as good as she got. And all felt right in his world again.

_An hour later_

Mary Margaret couldn't believe he'd kissed her. Oh but it was a bone-melting kiss. She had to get a grip, she did tell him that they needed to take it slowly. Well... that kiss was all he was going to get for some time if she had anything to say about it. But she had to admit, he was slowly melting away the last of her defences. She noticed that lately she's been the one to initiate contact between them. Sometimes she would reach for his hand, other times she would put her arms around his. Sometimes, she would rest her head on his shoulders. It felt so right.

David opened the door to their apartment building guiding her in. "I hope you had fun."

"Oh I don't ever remember ever having so much fun before, thank you, David." She answered.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it." He said, kissing her on the lips.

"Oh my!" Emma interrupted them, obviously having seen the kiss. Mary Margaret couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Emma hi!" She said, quickly shoving a grinning David back.

"I was going to ask how your day was... I guess it was all good... Oh yeah, I meant to ask David, why in the world did you buy a baby mobile? I saw it on the coffee table." Emma asked, pointing to the blue item.

"You bought a baby mobile?" Mary Margaret echoed the question, wondering why he would make such an odd purchase.

"Oh that thing... Yeah, it was something I saw at Mr. Gold's shop down the street. I thought it was gorgeous so I bought it." David answered.

"Well, its beauty isn't in question... But have you forgotten..." Emma said, "There's no baby around to enjoy that."

"Well, perhaps not _now._" David said, making eye contact with Mary Margaret who then looked away and suddenly found her cardigan button very fascinating. "But you never know... Besides I was told that mobile was hand crafted, and that there's no other like it. So I figured I'd best make an offer now."

"Dude... You are weird." Emma said.

"That _is_ a bit odd." Mary Margaret added.

"Can't a man appreciate good craftsmanship? Besides, one day Mary and I may have a little one and at least then we'll have part of the crib already taken care of." David said confidently.

Heat crept up Mary Margaret's face. But she had to acknowledge, even if just to herself, the thought of a child... Hers and David's gave her this nice warm feeling inside.

"Would you stop it, David. You're embarrassing Mary." Emma admonished. "Oh, by the way, I've been meaning to ask you if you could help me upstairs to assemble my new mirror stand."

"Yeah, no problem." David said, following Emma up the stairs.

Now by herself, Mary Margaret approached the baby mobile and began examining it. She almost couldn't blame David for spending God knows how much for it... It was indeed finely crafted and beautiful. It was unique as well, she had never seen a baby mobile made of blue crystals before. She had also never seen one composed of unicorns either. She reached for the unicorn closest to her to examine it more closely when she was hit with a vision.

_"Charming, I told you to order a pink mobile. Trust me, this is the farthest thing from pink." Snow said, pointing at the mobile._

_"Darling, pink isn't suitable for our son." James said while he attached the mobile to the baby's crib._

_"We're not going to have a son. I'm confident I'm carrying a girl." Snow said, defiantly._

_"A girl? Are you kidding me? I don't think a baby girl could kick like our baby can." James said, pointing to his wife's belly. _

_"Oh yeah? Well, you forget who her mother is. Unless you've forgotten, I can kick with the best of them." She said._

_James just laughed, "You're right, Snow. I stand corrected. But either way, don't you think it's gorgeous?"_

_"I have to admit, it's lovely." Snow said, as she went to stand by her husband, one arm around him. They stood that way in silence for a few moments, admiring their child's newly finished crib._

Mary Margaret had no idea what it was she just experienced. It felt like a memory of some kind, but that was impossible. In the vision, she was with David, but she had called him Charming. What kind of name was that? Not that it didn't suit him, now that she thought about it. She must've day-dreamed too deeply. She figured it was just because she had such an exhausting week. The chaos of the past week must've just caught up with her. She shook the cobwebs from her mind and got up to go to the washroom to splash some water on her face.

She felt better after washing her face. She still couldn't get the image of her and David in that vision she had. They seemed so happy. Didn't Henry claim David was supposed to be Prince Charming? She had called him 'Charming' in her vision didn't she? She told herself she had to stop listening to Henry and his wild theories... or were they really so wild? She shook her head slightly, feeling silly for even entertaining such thoughts. She was about to step out of the washroom, when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

Calling out to her roommates upstairs she yelled, "Hey guys, what happened to my new shower curtains?"

**To be continued...**

**I hope you all enjoyed this newest instalment to my story. If you noticed, it was a lot more light hearted than previous chapters. I hope that didn't detract from your enjoyment. I needed something fluffy after watching Episode 7 and learning that Mary and Dr. Whale enjoyed some extracurricular activities off-screen. I want to gag just thinking about it. **

**Anyway, I wanted to thank ariml29 for giving me the idea for the shower scene. I thought it was funny and that it could definitely be something that could happen to three roommates. It had shades of Three's Company in it. Anyway, thanks again for all the wonderful and encouraging reviews you've all given me. I know it's a bit time consuming to stop and leave a review, but I assure you all it's much appreciated. Please keep 'em coming and definitely feel free to let me know what you want to see, or if you have any questions. I do my best to answer each and every one of you. Cheers!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: Bid Memories Return**

**Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 6 is fair game. (I may mention events from Episode 7 in my comments after the story, but nothing within the story.)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.**

**Chapter 6**

_Two weeks after the skating date_

Mary Margaret and David were alone for the evening and were cuddled on the couch playing a game of Poker. Or rather, they were trying to play a game of Poker. For the last half hour, Mary has allowed David to try and teach her how to play. She didn't have the heart to tell him she already knew how. She figured she could have a little fun with him.

"So when you have five of the same suit, it's called a flush." David said, pointing to the cards in her hand and on the table.

"Oh I see, I have two flowers in my hand and three on the table to give me a flush." Mary Margaret said happily.

"No honey, they're called clubs, not flowers."

"But they look like flowers... Although they shouldn't be black." She said, pretending to miss the point of the game.

David chuckled, "Well, the color of the suits don't really affect the outcome of the game. They could be any color you want and the principle of the game would stay the same. So yeah, they could all be red and it wouldn't matter."

"So now teach me what a full house is." She said, encouraging him.

"Well, a full house is basically composed of a three of a kind combined with a pair. So for example, if you have two kings in your hand, and there are three sevens on the table, then you've got a full house. Because out of the seven cards available to you, there were three of a kind and a pair in the mix. See?" David said, pointing to the example he made.

"I see, and that's a pretty strong hand right?" She asked.

"Absolutely, for the most part it's hard to get anything better than that. It's really difficult to get a four of a kind or a straight flush let alone a royal flush. So yeah, if you have a full house chances are you've got the best hand."

"So if I have two princes in my hand and there are two threes and another prince on the table that's a full house too right?"

"Well, first of all it's not called a prince, these here are called jacks. But yes, you're right that counts as a full house too."

"Well, I think I get it now. Shall we play?" Mary Margaret asked, a twinkle of challenge in her eyes.

"What shall we bet?" David asked.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, the whole fun of poker is the betting. It's really a pointless game without it."

"Ok, well how about we play for chores around the apartment." Mary Margaret suggested.

"That sounds fair... But I have to warn you, I'm good at this. So if you're not ready to take on more dishes, I'd suggest you rethink what you want to wager."

"Don't worry about me." She said with a wink.

_Half an hour later_

"So I call your dishes for the next three days, and I raise you laundry for the week." Mary Margaret said.

David stayed silent for a few seconds examining the cards and running through the possible hands his companion might have. "I think you're bluffing me... Alright, I call I have a flush king high."

Mary Margaret stared at the cards he just turned over, then looked at David who was sporting a huge Cheshire cat grin. But before he got a chance to celebrate, she turned over her cards and said, "I have a flush too, ace high."

"What? That's unbelievable." David said, looking stunned.

Mary Margaret just laughed thinking how cute he looked. "So, you now have to do my laundry, don't worry I won't include my unmentionables... You also have to do the dishes for the next three days. Emma can thank me for that one. You also have to scrub the toilets and put up the Christmas decorations. Did I miss anything? Oh yeah, you owe me a back rub."

"I think you hustled me, you little sneak." David said, tickling her.

"David stop it! Don't! I'm so... oh... I'm ticklish!" Mary Margaret squirmed.

"Admit it, you're a card shark!"

"Ok, ok, so I pretended I didn't know how to play... It's not the worst thing I've ever done." Mary Margaret said, trying to catch her breath.

"Flowers and princes. huh?" David said, leaning down to kiss her.

"You're not the only one with hidden talents." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

David rained kisses down the side of her neck, "I'll get mmm... you back... for... mmm... that one."

"Hmm... I'm looking forward to it." Mary Margaret said, nipping on his ear.

She realized that in the last couple of weeks she's become more and more comfortable with David. She realized she no longer had any reservations in being affectionate or even playful with him. In fact, she's found that whenever they were apart, she always longed for his touch. She did ask him that they take it slow and he's been a complete gentleman, never asking or even hinting at more. He basically waited until she gave the go-ahead. She was beginning to wonder if it wasn't time to take the next step in their relationship. The other night, she fell asleep in his arms on the couch in the middle of a movie... It was nice. She'd never slept so soundly before, and the fact that she was in an awkward position on the couch amazed her even more.

David interrupted her thoughts, "I guess I'll go wash those dishes now, you little cheater."

Mary Margaret just giggled, "Now, now... Don't be a sore loser. I may have lied about knowing how to play the game, but I certainly didn't rig the deck. You take care of those dishes while I tidy up the cards."

"Will do... then I owe you a back rub." David said, winking at her.

Mary Margaret just rolled her eyes at him. She started picking up the cards that were scattered on the coffee table. She proceeded to count them before putting them back in the box. She realized she was short a card so she started looking in and around the couch for the missing card. She then spotted the queen of hearts half sticking out from under the sofa. She picked it up and just as soon as she touched the card she was hit with an image.

_"You knew how to play all along!" James accused her._

_She was laughing so hard, her sides were hurting. "I never said I didn't know how to play! You just assumed I didn't and went ahead and started teaching."_

_"You could've said something." James said, pouting._

_"Oh darling, I didn't want to burst your bubble. You looked like you were having so much fun." Snow said, caressing his face._

_"Yeah, well it seemed you had a lot of fun yourself kicking my butt at Hearts."_

_"I admit, so far it's been the highlight of my day. Oh honey, it's just a silly game and besides, oh!" Snow stopped speaking abruptly and put her hands on her swollen belly._

_"Sweetheart, what is it?" James asked, rushing to her side._

_"Speaking of kicking... Here James, put your hand here." Snow said, grabbing her husband's hand and placing it on her stomach. "Do you feel it?"_

_"Feel what? I don't feel any-" then James felt it, it was indeed a kick. "Wow, our little guy's quite restless isn't he, Snow?"_

_"You mean our little girl. And she's not restless, she's just saying hello to her daddy." Snow said._

_James bent down so his head was next to his wife's stomach. "Hi little one, I'm your daddy. How are you doing? It must be nice and cozy in there. But you take it easy on your mother ok?"_

_Snow couldn't help but giggle at her husband's attempt at baby-talk. He was just absolutely, completely adorable. When James was finished talking to their child, he kissed her belly, then stood up and kissed her. _

"Honey? Mary Margaret!" David's voice calling her pulled her out of her vision. "Is everything alright? You were totally out of it for a few moments there. I called you like six times and you didn't even hear me."

"I'm uhh... Yeah, I'm ok. I guess I was just day-dreaming. Sorry... what were you saying?" She asked, while trying to shake the cobwebs out of her head.

"I just asked if you wanted to use the washroom first before turning in?"

"Oh, you can go ahead. I'm not sleepy yet." She said, giving him a smile. And with that, David left the living room.

Her heart was racing. This was the fourth time in the last two weeks she's seen some kind of vision and it always involved her and David. But he wasn't called David in the visions. She called him James or sometimes Charming. And he called her Snow. She was a little frightened now. These visions weren't at all from her imagination. She was almost sure of it. But what could they be then? They couldn't possibly be memories could they? But memories of what? It all started with her touching the mobile. There was something about that baby mobile David brought home a couple of weeks ago, she just couldn't quite put her finger on it. Was it possible there was some truth in what Henry's been saying all along? Could she be Snow White and David, Prince Charming? It sounded ludicrous to her, but yet, the visions were too vivid to be attributed to her imagination. And they weren't dreams either as she usually saw these visions awake. She decided she was going to have a talk with her favourite student.

_The next day_

As the children rushed out for recess Mary asked Henry to stay for a few minutes, "Henry, may I speak to you before you go out and play?"

"Sure Miss Blanchard. Did I do something wrong?"

"Oh, not at all sweetie. I was just wondering... Remember when you said I was Snow White and David was Prince Charming... What made you believe that?"

"Just some stuff, why?" Henry answered.

"Well, for example David... what made you think he was Prince Charming?"

"Well, he looks like him in my book. He has the same scar on his chin. It was a scar Snow White gave him when they first met. And he was in a coma. He had to be in a coma because he was hurt so badly, just before the curse took over, that he needed a long time to get better. He was cut on his left shoulder, then a sword went through him on the left side of his tummy." Mary Margaret did notice that David had a tendency to cringe whenever he moved his left side. She had attributed it to whatever accident had supposedly put him in a coma.

"May I see your book, Henry?" She asked. Henry reached into his backpack for it, then handed it to her.

Mary Margaret flipped through the pages. What she was looking for, she didn't know. Then she saw an illustration of Prince Charming. He and David did indeed have a scar in the same area on their chins. Too similar to be a coincidence, yet she still couldn't quite make herself believe it.

"What about me, Henry? What made you think I was Snow White?"

"Umm... You and the Snow White in my book look alike... And well, the blue birds are always flying inside your classroom. Snow White could talk to the birds you know. Also, your last name is Blanchard. The word 'blanc' in French means white. And I guess I just know."

"So Henry, if you believe that all of Storybrooke's residents were once fairytale characters, then who are you in the book?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I'm not in the book." Henry answered. "But my mom was."

"Right, you think your mom's the Evil Queen." She said.

"Yes, she's the Evil Queen, but I was talking about my real mom." He answered.

"Emma? She told me she wasn't in the book." She said, recalling one of her early conversations with her roommate.

"She's only near the end of the book, like the last four or five pages." He said.

Mary Margaret flipped to the end of the book. "But Henry, the last few pages of this book has been torn out."

"Yeah, my mom did that... I mean my real mom, Emma. It was so the Evil Queen doesn't learn who she really is." Henry answered.

"And who is she really?" Mary Margaret asked.

"She's Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter. Just before the Evil Queen's curse, the Prince put her in the enchanted wardrobe so she could escape the curse. That's why she's the only one from the fairytale world who got older." Henry answered.

Mary Margaret didn't know what to say. So she sat there for several seconds and said nothing. Dear God, if what Henry was saying was true... Then he was her grandson. Hers and David's. It made absolutely no logical sense and any adult who had half a mind would not dare to even entertain such an idea.

But yet... It explained a lot of things. Her immediate connection with Emma. Her complete and utter trust in the woman after having only known her a few days. The similarities she saw between Emma and David. Looking back on it, they did have similar smiles. And come to think of it, she and Emma even had similar eyes. There was also the immediate connection between her and David as well. And Henry... Well, she felt a maternal protectiveness when it came to Henry that she didn't have with any of her other students. It would also explain why she couldn't really remember things she was supposed to like... How did she become a teacher? Why was it she couldn't remember a time when the town had a different mayor? But still... to accept Henry's theory was to accept the absurd.

"Henry, do you mind if I look through your book for just a little while longer, perhaps take it home?"

Henry shook his head no.

"Thanks, I'll have this back for you tomorrow. You can go ahead now and play with your friends." Mary Margaret said, affectionately patting the boy on the back.

"Ok, thanks Miss Blanchard." Henry said, then ran outside.

Mary Margaret continued leafing through the pages after Henry went outside. There were so many pages to go through. After a few more minutes of flipping through the book, one page caught her attention... It was an illustration of Prince Charming and Snow White talking, a baby's crib between them. It wasn't the domestic scene that caught her attention. It was the picture of the mobile attached to the crib. It was the exact same one David brought home. She recognized it immediately. She had to compose herself for a moment. This was just too weird for her. There was mounting evidence all around her that what Henry was saying might possibly be true. But it just wasn't logical!

She needed to talk to someone about this... About everything! Her visions, the book, the coincidences... Everything! She couldn't really talk to Emma about it. She knew Emma didn't believe a word that Henry had said so far. That left David. She would bring up the topic with him. She wanted to know his opinion on the matter. Normally she would be nervous talking about such a subject with a fellow adult... But she knew David would be fair and objective. He would not ridicule her if she were to at least consider the possibility of Henry's theory being true.

Mary Margaret stared at the classroom clock and in her mind urged it to move faster.

**To be continued...**

**I really have no idea whether or not the mayor knows that Emma is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming in the show. So I just assumed she didn't. Sorry if that's wrong.**

**Anyway, a HUGE thanks to everyone who've left reviews and/or suggestions. I do read each and every one of them and try to respond if needed. It also helps me gauge people's interest in my story. After watching episode 7 of the show, again I felt a little down, this time because Mary Margaret did the whole one night stand thing with the doc. I thought that was bad form by the writers as I felt it was totally out of character. I mean, Snow White does not DO one night stands. It's unDisney. Just my opinion of course. Anyway, this fic really does serve as my pick-me-up when it comes to the show. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I'm just about done Chapter 7, so stay tuned for that. Cheers!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: Bid Memories Return**

**Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 6 is fair game. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.**

**Chapter 7**

Mary Margaret was waiting for David to come home. This was the first day he was unable to walk her home from work as he had an appointment to see his physical therapist for a check-up. He was, for the most part, fine. However, he still struggled with discomfort, especially when it came to moving his left shoulder. He confided in her that it was something he suspected he would have to live with for the rest of his life. She was most eager to see him. It wasn't only because she was eager to talk to him about her visions. She simply missed him.

Since she got home from work she's done nothing but peruse the book she borrowed from Henry. She wasn't sure exactly what she was looking for. But she was hoping there might be something in the book that might at least prove or disprove Henry's theory. She hated the uncertainty of it all. She was impatient for answers. She finished reading all of the parts that had Snow White and Prince Charming in the book. She was a little frustrated that the last few pages of the book were torn. She would have to ask Emma what the contents of those pages were, since according to Henry it was Emma who tore them off.

She heard the door open and close. She left her room to see who it was. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw it was David. She all but ran into his arms, embracing him as if she hadn't seen him in months, when in reality it was only several hours. He looked a little tired to her, but he seemed content.

"Wow, a man could get used to such a welcome." David said, after giving her a kiss.

"I just missed you. How was your check-up?" She asked.

"It was fine. My physical therapist was pleased with my progress. Like I said to you before I'll probably always feel pain in my shoulder and abdomen, but I've gotten used to it." He answered.

"I'm so sorry to hear that this is the extent of your recovery. I was hoping all of your discomfort would go away." Mary Margaret said, hurting for David that he would have to live through the pain.

"Well, if it makes you feel better I don't notice any of it when I'm with you." David said, smiling at her.

"Then I'll be sure to be with you always." She answered, smiling at him.

"I'll hold you to that." David said, grinning.

After a few moments, David said, "You look like you have something on your mind."

Mary Margaret had to hand it to him, sometimes he knew her better than she knew herself. "Actually yes, I umm... Can we talk in my room?"

"_Just_ talk?" David asked, obviously teasing her.

Mary Margaret just blushed and decided to ignore his little innuendo. She led him to her room and once they were inside closed the door behind them. "I wanted to talk to you about certain visions and dreams I've been having."

"Oh? What sort of visions and dreams?" David asked.

"In one of my visions, we were together... And the baby mobile, the one you brought home the other day was there as well. We were arguing about it. It wasn't the one I asked for apparently." Mary Margaret started.

"You wanted a pink one." David said.

"That's right and I... Wait, how did you know that?" His comment completely surprised her.

"Just keep going... I want to know what else you saw." He said.

"Well... I was there, but I had long hair. You looked pretty much the same, but I didn't call you David. I called you-"

"James." David interrupted.

"Yes! Or... Or Charming sometimes. How could you possibly know that?" She desperately wanted to know.

"Just continue I don't want you to lose your train of thought." David insisted.

Mary Margaret nodded, "Anyway, in some memories I was pregnant, in others I wasn't... In these visions I think we were married..."

David nodded, obviously encouraging her to continue. He had such a hopeful look on his face that Mary Margaret decided to keep going.

"And in another flashback we were playing cards and I was pregnant then. The baby kicked for the first time-"

"And I told our child to take it easy on you..." James said, almost wistfully, "You had just finished beating me at a game of Hearts when our child gave her first kick."

"David, you're frightening me! How could you possibly know all of this? How could you possibly know the details of my visions?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Because I lived through them... _We_ lived through them."

"So... you're saying that what I've been seeing are memories?" She asked.

David nodded, "You are starting to get back fragments of memories from our real lives. What I don't understand is why you're only getting fragments, where as I was hit with everything all at once."

"Oh dear God... For the last two weeks I thought I was going crazy! I mean, we can't both be crazy!" Mary Margaret said, tears of relief pooling in her eyes.

"You're not crazy. If you were crazy, then there'd be no way I could've known what happened in your visions. But I knew because those visions were of events that we both lived through." David said. "At first it seems absurd, I know... But if you examine it closely, you'll see that it answers a lot of questions."

"That night you first came here... When you said you remembered... This was what you meant wasn't it?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes. When I met up with you by the toll bridge all those months ago and I told you that I remembered my life with Kathryn... Those were false memories that I was cursed with. They're not unlike the false memories you have of your past as Mary Margaret."

"Is that what you meant when you said Kathryn wasn't really your wife?"

"That's right. I've been in a coma all these years. The first time I woke up in this world was when you woke me up. I was in a coma because the last thing that happened to me in our world was that I was badly injured by the Evil Queen's guards."

"You were slashed across your shoulder, then you were impaled by a guardsman's sword." Mary Margaret said.

"How do you know that? You weren't there when it happened." David asked.

"It was in the book... Henry's fairytale book. From the beginning he insisted that you and I were Snow White and Prince Charming, but of course I didn't believe him... I mean curses and magic just don't exist!"

"They did in our world, darling." David said, sadly.

"When you were talking to the mayor... You referred to your family... You meant me and-"

"And Emma." David finished for her. "That first night I came here I saw the blanket you knitted for her when she was first born in one of her moving boxes. That's when I found out she was our daughter."

"My God, I need a moment to wrap my mind around all this!" After a few minutes of silence, Mary Margaret said, "I guess that explains your endless patience with her."

David chuckled, "I like to think I'm a patient dad... And it's not her fault she jumped to the wrong conclusions about me."

"It's just all so impossible... I mean our daughter is _our_ age for crying out loud!"

"Improbable... But obviously not impossible." David said, wrapping his arms around Mary Margaret.

"So... you're my husband." She whispered.

"And you're my wife... The only one I've ever had... And the only one I'll ever have." He answered.

"I suppose my heart knew all along what my mind is only now beginning to grasp... I now understand why I had such strong feelings for you, right from the start." Mary Margaret said, almost to herself. All of a sudden, she started giggling.

"Honey, what's so funny?" David asked.

"I'm just relieved to know that when I first met you... The feelings I had for you... They were because you were _my_ husband and not someone else's." She answered.

David chuckled. "That really did bother you huh?"

"Of course... My mind screamed at me, telling me it was wrong... But all my heart kept telling me was that nothing ever felt so right. I tormented myself for nothing." Mary Margaret said.

"It's because you are a good person that you were tormented. Don't ever forget that." David said.

There was no doubt anymore in Mary Margaret's mind that what she saw in her visions were indeed memories. But she still didn't feel like she was Snow White. She only remembered fragments... Bits and pieces. It was one thing to know Snow White's story from a fairytale book... It was another thing entirely to remember those same stories.

"David, I want to remember everything. I feel so... Incomplete." Mary Margaret whispered to her husband.

"Trust me, sweetheart. If I knew what to do to get your memories back all at once, I would have done it already. I wasn't doing anything in particular when my memories all came back to me... I think I was grabbing a carton of milk from the fridge or something mundane like that when it hit me." David said.

"My first memory was triggered when I touched the baby mobile you brought home a couple of weeks ago... But after that they've come around randomly." Mary Margaret said a little dejectedly.

"Don't lose heart. We have each other, everything else will fall into place... I promise." David said.

Mary Margaret turned to David and embraced him, acknowledging, without words, that she agreed. But she still wanted to know more. "Come with me to talk to Henry."

**To be continued...**

**At first I planned on updating again after the weekend. But I was just so overwhelmed with all the positive feedback, I decided to add this chapter tonight. I've gotten sooooo many requests from readers to have David talk to Henry. Well, your pleas haven't fallen on deaf ears. Next chapter, you'll get what you've asked for lol Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this instalment. Keep those reviews coming! Cheers :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: Bid Memories Return**

**Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 6 is fair game. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.**

**Chapter 8**

"I guess that's why you always seem to stumble on my name... Until now, I thought you were just bad with names." Snow said.

James chuckled, "As lovely as Mary Margaret is and as much as I really like the name, you've just always been Snow to me. And yes, it was a struggle at times to call you Mary Margaret after my memories came back."

"Do you prefer I call you James?" Snow asked.

"Only if you're comfortable with it. Besides... when you get your memories back it'll all come naturally to you." James answered.

"Thanks for being so patient. I can only imagine how frustrating this must be for you."

"Trust me, what you call me is the least of my frustrations. I don't want you to worry about it." James answered.

He and his wife were waiting in her classroom for Henry to arrive. Snow said he usually arrived a good twenty minutes before the rest of the class did as he didn't have many friends. The rest of the children that arrived early were usually outside playing. Henry preferred to be inside going through books at his desk. At first, Snow encouraged him to be with the other children instead of alone in the classroom with her. But she eventually gave up. She told James it was the perfect opportunity to speak to him. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice by the door.

"Good morning Miss Blanchard." Henry said, then turned to James, "Good morning, David."

"Hi Henry, come on in." He and Snow both said in unison, making them chuckle.

Snow handed the boy his book when he approached them. "Henry, there are a few things we wanted to ask you about your book."

"Sure, what did you want to know?" Henry asked, looking between Snow and James.

"We were wondering... How are we supposed to break the curse? You know, the one that's causing everyone to forget who they are in the fairytale world? We couldn't find it in the book." Snow asked.

"Why does it matter? You don't believe." Henry said, dejectedly.

"Actually... And you have to keep this between us for now... We believe you." James said.

Henry's eyes were as wide as saucers, his mouth hung open upon hearing what James just said. "You believe me?"

"Yes son... We do... I've had my memories back for some time now and Snow here is remembering more and more each day." James answered.

"Wow, you really do believe me!" Henry said, obviously noticing that James referred to his teacher as Snow. "I can't wait to tell my mom!"

"No no no, Henry. Umm... don't tell Emma just yet." Snow said.

"Why not? She'll need to know that you guys know too for Operation Cobra."

"Operation what?" James asked.

"Operation Cobra... it's what we call our mission. It's our mission to break the curse." Henry answered.

"Honey, you can't tell Emma... While she believes most of what you say..." Snow said, telling a little white lie since Emma didn't believe a word about Henry's story, "... It would be a lot to accept that we're her parents. She grew up here, in this world sweetie, and it would just be too far-fetched for her to believe right now."

Henry shrugged, seeming to accept his teacher's explanation, "Ok then. But she eventually has to know."

"All in good time, sweetie. Speaking of breaking the curse... How do we go about doing that? It didn't say in the book." Snow said.

"I don't know for sure. You're right, it doesn't say in the book. But I think I might know." Henry said.

"What do you think would do it?" James asked.

"Well... one thing it does say in the book is that my mom is the key to breaking the curse..."

"Yes, Rumpelstiltskin told us that, I remember!" James interrupted.

"Right... So I think in order for my mom to break the curse, she would have to believe there was a curse to begin with." Henry said.

Both James and Snow's shoulders slumped a little at that. They both knew what a tall order that was, getting Emma to believe that she was Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter. The part about her parents being the same age as her would probably be the biggest obstacle.

"But that's not all," Henry added, "The reason the curse was put into place to begin with was because the Evil Queen hated Snow White so much. The main reason for the curse was so the both of you wouldn't be together. So if you two both remember who you really are and are together again... I think that would really weaken her curse."

"What can I do to remember more, Henry?" Snow asked.

"I don't know... I'm sorry." Henry answered.

"Hey, don't be sorry, buddy." James said, putting his hand on the boy's back. "You know a lot more than we do. We're lucky to have you."

"You know what's funny, just a couple of days ago I had no idea I was a mother, let alone a grandmother." Snow said, laughing.

"Well, you're certainly like no other grandma I've ever seen before." James said, kissing his wife.

Henry watched the two with a huge grin on his face. "So can I call you guys grandma and grandpa?"

James had to chuckle at his grandson's excitement, "Of course you can, but only when it's just us three. People are going to think we're bizarre if they were to hear."

"And as much as it's going to take a lot of getting used to... I'd be honoured if you called me grandma... In private of course." Snow said, winking at Henry.

"I guess my classmates _would_ find that weird... seeing as you're too young to be a grandma and all." Henry said, making Snow and James laugh. "I just wish..."

"What is it?" Snow asked.

"I just wish we could all be together... like a family." Henry said, sadly.

"Hey buddy... we'll find a way... I promise. I'll find a way or die trying. You're part of our family and I'll be damned if you have to spend another minute longer than you have to with the mayor." James said, vehemently.

"Don't worry too much... I'm unhappy there... but she treats me well enough." Henry said.

His grandson's words broke James' heart. And looking at his wife, he knew it broke hers too. It was never supposed to be like this, any of it. He had an urge to punch something... or rather someone, all of a sudden. Too much had been taken from him... and his family. Never again, he vowed.

"Do you mind if I go to the washroom before class starts?" Henry asked Snow.

"Not at all, sweetie you go on ahead." She answered.

Henry turned to run out the classroom door but stopped abruptly as if he forgot something. After a couple of seconds he turned around and without a word ran back and embraced both his grandparents. James was stunned for a quick moment, but quickly embraced the boy back with everything he had. He never wanted to let go. So much of the heartache he's carried with him was washed away at that moment. His wife was on her way to remembering their life together, his grandson knew who he was... Well, two out of three wasn't bad. If he couldn't have his daughter in his arms, well, his grandson was certainly the next best thing.

After a few moments, Henry pulled away from their embrace. He smiled up at his grandparents, then turned and walked out the door as if nothing happened. Once James and Snow were alone again they sat in silence for a few minutes. Both were deep in thought.

After some time, James broke the silence. "I hate her."

"Me too... I never thought I had it in me to hate... But I do, I hate her." Snow answered.

"You know the memory that kills me the most... It was the sound of your heart-wrenching sobs echoing through the halls as I carried Emma away from you and to the wardrobe." James said.

"I'm so sorry but I don't remember that... But I can imagine it. And that's one memory I'm afraid to remember." Snow said, taking her husband's hand.

"She's stolen twenty eight years from us... Our daughter was forced to grow up without us, without the people who loved her the most... And now that witch is raising our grandson. She took all that from us... but that's it. Not another thing." James said. And with that, he vowed to make things right again.

_Later at the apartment_

Snow walked in the apartment to find Emma sitting at the table reading the newspaper. James wasn't with her as he decided to go for a walk. She knew he had a lot on his mind so she didn't protest much. She just told him to take it easy and not to stay out too long. She had a lot on her mind as well.

"Hey Mare... look at this article, a ram and deer fell in love in a Chinese zoo and are inseparable. Isn't that cute?" Emma said, looking at her roommate and showing her a picture from the article she was reading.

Snow chuckled at her daughter. For all her rough edges, Snow believed that Emma had a soft spot somewhere deep down, and at times when her guard wasn't up, it was a real treat to see.

"So how was work... And where's David?" Emma asked.

"David wanted to stretch his legs so he went for a walk. He said he wouldn't be out too long... As for work, well you know, same old." Snow answered.

"So... you and David..." Emma started a little awkwardly. Snow didn't say anything, waiting for Emma to finish. "You two have gotten quite close the last few weeks..."

"We have." Snow said, not quite sure how much to add.

"So then... are you two..." Emma left her question hanging.

"Are we..." Snow decided to tease her daughter a bit, not giving her an answer.

"Oh for god's sake Mary... Are you and he..."

Snow giggled, "Are we what?"

"Fine, I'll say it. Are you and David doing the horizontal tango?" Emma asked.

It was a good thing Snow hadn't started drinking the bottle of water she'd just opened, otherwise the water would've probably come out through her nostrils at the bluntness of her daughter's statement. It was weird in a sense that just a few weeks ago she would've been completely comfortable talking about such things with Emma, but now knowing she was her daughter made the topic of intimacy a little awkward... At least on her end.

Snow opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Emma, "Now I know it's none of my business and what you do in your private life is ultimately that... Private. But I care about you, Mary. I just don't want to see you hurt. And as much as I like David and thinks he's a genuinely nice guy who does care for you... Who's to say he won't hurt you again?"

Snow was touched at her daughter's concern for her. It was nice to finally understand the bond she felt for Emma. She looked at her daughter's concerned face. Emma was so lovely, Snow thought, feeling pride as a mother for the first time.

"Don't you worry about me. David won't hurt me. He cares about me." Snow said.

"He cared about you then too, but that didn't stop him from choosing that Kathryn woman over you... Just thinking about that really burns my biscuits!" Emma said.

Snow burst out laughing. "Emma, you've got to trust me. David and I have come to an understanding."

"So you two _are_doing the horizontal tango." Emma said dryly.

This time water did come up through Snow's nose. Emma caught her with that comment while she was taking a sip out of her water bottle. "Emma, that's private!"

"Oh come on! You've never had a problem talking to me about such things before. What's changed?" Emma asked.

For one, I just found out I'm you're mother, Snow thought. "Well, David and I are together, that's for sure... Aside from that, I'll let you draw your own conclusions."

"Well, just be careful... But I guess even if you weren't... I'll always be here for you... You'll always have my shoulder to cry on while I pat your back and tell you 'I told you so.'" Emma said, half jokingly.

Snow was so touched by her daughter's protectiveness over her and her unconditional friendship, she went to hug the other woman. "I'll always be here for you too, Emma."

"Ok... let's not get sappy now. Save that for David." Emma said.

Snow just giggled at her daughter's obvious discomfort with anything emotional. She had to giggle because otherwise she might just cry. Her daughter was so closed off to the world and it was all because of the decision she and James made twenty eight years ago. Her daughter grew up thinking her parents never loved her. It was a bitter truth to accept.

Snow started gathering things from the fridge and cupboard. She decided she was going to make dinner for her family. The last two nights they've just ordered in, and she was tired of all the unhealthy fare they've had the last little while.

Wanting to break the silence, Snow couldn't help herself and she asked, "Emma... do you ever think about your birth parents?"

For a moment, Emma gave her a 'where did that question come from' look, but answered anyway, "I used to hate them... Well, perhaps hate is too strong a word... I used to be angry with them... But after I gave Henry up for adoption... I guess I took into consideration the fact that perhaps my parents, or at the very least my birth mother, might've had a good reason to give me up. The only thing I can't wrap my mind around is the fact that they just left me by the side of the road."

Snow did her best not to flinch at her daughter's harsh tone. She wanted nothing more than to explain everything to Emma. She wanted to tell her that she wasn't abandoned at the side of the road. She wanted to tell her how much she was loved, and how giving her up was in fact their last option. But she knew that Emma wouldn't believe her.

"I'm sure your parents loved you very much... They probably found themselves in a very desperate situation and were forced to do what they did." Snow said, hoping against hope that Emma would consider it.

"It's funny you said that... I was found wrapped in a blanket with my name embroidered on the side." Emma said, walking to the living room to get the blanket.

She came back to the kitchen and handed it to Snow. "I never understood why my parents would bother to wrap me in this lovely blanket, embroider my name on it with painstaking care... then just leave me."

Snow was hit by a memory so strong the moment she touched the baby blanket.

_"The wardrobe... It only takes one." Snow said, looking up at her husband. All the while the sound of the queen's soldiers invading their castle grew louder and louder.._

_"Then our plan has failed." James said, a look of defeat on his face, "At least we're together."_

_After a few moments, Snow knew what she had to do, the difficult decision she had to make. "No, you have to take her, take the baby to the wardrobe-"_

_"Are you out of your mind?" Her husband asked in disbelief._

_"No, it's the only way, you have to send her through-"_

_"No no no, you don't know what you're saying-"_

_"No I do, we have to believe that she'll come back for us... We have to give her, her best chance." Snow said to her husband, tears streaming down her cheeks._

_James bent down to kiss little Emma on the forehead. Snow, her tears choking her, did the same and said, "Goodbye, Emma."_

_She gave her precious daughter to her husband, and kissed him one last time. She held back her sobs for as long as she could, but lost the battle when the two most important people in her life left her all alone._

The memory hit her so hard she had to catch her breath. It was the same memory that haunted her husband. The sobs she tried so hard to hold back... He heard anyway. She was so immersed in the memory she didn't realize she had tears in her eyes.

"Aww, come on Mare, don't get all teary-eyed on me. I guess my parents just changed their minds and let me keep the blanket as a souvenir." Emma said, a little sarcastically.

"They loved you Emma." Snow said through the lump in her throat.

Emma scoffed, "And how would you know that?"

"I umm... I can't imagine a parent not loving their child... no matter the circumstances." Snow answered.

"Well, I guess it's too bad for me I didn't have a mother like you." Emma said sadly.

Snow White didn't know what to say.

_Elsewhere in Storybrooke..._

"You see that man, sitting alone on that bench across the street," the mayor said to the man in black next to her, "That's David Nolan... That's your assignment."

"He looks like a nobody, why would you bother?" The man asked.

"Not that it's any of your business... Let's just say he knows more than he should." The mayor answered. "But remember, you can't let it look like it's targeted. This better not come back to me."

"Hey don't worry about it, I'm the best at what I do." The man answered. "So is there any particular way you want me to do this?"

"His paycheque will be given to him tomorrow. After he picks up that tart of his from the school they'll both head to the bank to cash their cheques. You'll make it seem like a robbery... and he, the casualty." The mayor said, ever so calmly, as if she was merely discussing the grocery list.

The man in black laughed, "And his tart?"

"She is to remain unharmed..." The mayor said, "What better way to exact my revenge than to take the man she loves from her... No, I want her to live... I want her to suffer as I've suffered."

"Just remember to have the other half of my payment ready tomorrow... it shouldn't take more than a few minutes."

**To be continued...**

**Well, once again I wanted to say thank you to all those who've left such encouraging words for me. I hope you all enjoyed this latest chapter. I haven't updated the last two days so I decided to give you guys a longer than normal chapter. I hope I've appeased many of my readers with this chapter. I know a lot of people wanted a mother/daughter moment between Emma and Snow, I hope I met your expectations, and the same for my readers who wanted a Henry/James moment. One reader asked if Sheriff Graham was still alive in my story... the answer is yes as my story doesn't diverge from the show's canon until episode 6. The next chapter will be a pivotal one so stay tuned for that. As always, I enjoy your feedback so keep 'em coming as they encourage me to write faster! Cheers!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Title: Bid Memories Return**

**Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 6 is fair game. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.**

**Author's Notes: Let me just say first of all that A.) I'm not a bank robber and B.) I'm not a doctor. That being said, please excuse all of the technical inaccuracies in the chapter below. If you're the type to get hooked on details like "the bank teller would never be the one to open the vault, they don't have access... what a stupid story!" then you're probably better off not reading this chapter. Other than that... Cheers!**

**Chapter 9**

_Payday_

"So Emma's meeting us at the theatre at five. I figured we could watch the early showing of Mission Impossible then go for a late dinner." James said to his wife.

"Sounds good to me." Snow said, smiling up at her husband.

"Besides, it's not too often the three of us are all free for one evening." James said. "I just wish Henry could come too."

"Yeah, me too." Snow said, sadly.

Snow and James were on their way to the bank to cash their pay cheques. As was their routine every two weeks, they would stop by the bank then treat themselves to a little something. This week it was dinner and a movie. Emma being able to accompany them for the evening was an added bonus.

Over the last few weeks Snow had noticed a marked difference in the way Emma treated her father. She was... kinder, certainly not as harsh as she was in the beginning. Snow really felt that Emma was beginning to trust her father. It was the little things she noticed. Emma, for example, was usually the last to go to sleep every night. As was her habit, she would always knock on Snow's room to say goodnight. However, the night before, Snow heard her say goodnight to James as well. It was a small thing, but it was something. And she knew how pleased her husband was at the small concession.

She and James were happy with the way things were progressing for the most part. She and James were together again. She had a lot of her memories back. Her husband and daughter were with her under the same roof. Things could certainly be a lot worse and she knew that.

Of course it wasn't all perfect. Their daughter didn't know who they were. She and her husband were still not sharing a room at his insistence. He said that as much as it killed him not to share a bed with her, Emma didn't know they were married and he didn't want to give her the wrong idea. She would tease him about being so old fashioned and he would just grin at her sheepishly. She had to admit, she was growing a little tired of always trying to find some privacy with her husband in a small apartment, but she wouldn't trade their living arrangement for anything. James insisted they marry again as David and Mary Margaret for the sake of appearances. Snow knew James didn't care much what others thought of him outside of his immediate family, but she knew he cared how people saw her. She was the local elementary school teacher after all.

But Snow had to admit that the worst part of it all was that their grandson Henry was still in the Evil Queen's hands. That last part ate away at Snow the most and she knew it bothered her husband just as much. They wanted Henry with them. However, as David Nolan and Mary Margaret, they knew they didn't have a leg to stand on. The only hope they had was for Emma to try and take custody of Henry, but even that was a long shot.

"Thank God there's not much of a line-up!" Snow said, as they entered the local bank. "I'm starving."

"Did you skip lunch?" James asked.

"Well... I didn't mean to. I was just so busy with-"

"It doesn't matter if you're busy or not. It's not good for you to skip a meal." Her husband scolded her.

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just a bad habit I've developed." Snow answered.

"Well, today was the last of my physiotherapy sessions so I'll be around to remind you every day." James said, putting his arm around his wife. "Besides, you've lost a lot of weight from what I remember."

Snow laughed, "I _was _pregnant, sweetheart."

James was about to answer when the next teller waved to them indicating she was available. They started walking up to her when they heard a loud shot. A man, wearing all black, had entered the bank and was pointing his gun at a bank employee. Snow didn't recognize who it was as he was wearing sunglasses with a handkerchief covering his face. James immediately pulled her behind him trying to shield her from the gunman.

"Everyone, this is a hold up! Do exactly as I say... Put your hands behind your heads. Don't even think about trying to be a hero." The gunman said to the teller who was trying to reach for something under the counter.

The gunman threw a brown duffel bag at the teller, "Put all the cash in there."

A little boy of about two, clutching his mother's skirts, began to cry. The mother tried desperately to quiet him down, but it seemed the more she tried to calm him, the more panicked he became.

"Shut that kid up before I shut it for you." The gunman said to the mother, his gun still trained on the teller filling the duffel bag with cash.

"I'm sorry, he's just so scared!" The mother pleaded, unable to stop her child from crying.

The gunman started making his way to the mother and child. His gun was no longer pointed at the teller, but was now pointed at the crying child.

"No wait!" Snow and James both cried out in unison.

"The child's no threat to you, please. He's just frightened." Snow said as she stepped in front of her husband trying to plead with the gunman.

"And why would a tasty tart like you care what happens to some kid?" The gunman snickered, turning to point the gun at her. James immediately stepped in front of her.

"Honey, just stay behind me." James said.

"I see your man is willing to take a bullet for you. Noble... but ill advised." The gunman said to Snow.

Snow felt something wasn't right. The robbery didn't look very professional. The gunman didn't even seem interested in the money the teller was frantically trying to fill his bag with. She was also wondering why he would only bring one duffel bag when the cash in the vaults could fill a dozen. His attention seemed to be going back and forth between her and James and the frightened child. She thought back on some of the bank robberies in the news and almost always, the robber instructed those in the bank to get on the floor. This one didn't. The gunman however, _did_ look like he knew how to handle a gun which definitely scared her.

The child began to cry even louder. The gunman whipped around and pointed the gun at the child. For an instant he looked like he was going to shoot. It seemed James thought the same thing.

"No don't!" James said, reaching forward, his hand gesturing for the gunman to stop.

"I said to keep your hands behind your head!" The gunman yelled.

It seemed everything happened in slow motion for Snow. She watched as the gunman abruptly turned his head towards her husband. His gun followed a split second after him. The barrel was pointed directly at James. She didn't know how, but she knew he was going to shoot. Perhaps it was the tensing of his arm, the way it straightened ever so slightly. Maybe it was the slight tilting of his head. Perhaps it was the slight motion of his index finger beginning to squeeze the trigger. Whatever it was, she knew what was going to happen. And so she did the only thing she could do. The one thing she knew her husband would never forgive her for.

She stepped between the barrel of the gun and the man she loved. She faintly heard her husband yell at her, but it was drowned out by the sound of the gun shot. A muffled explosion resounded through the entire bank. Her body tensed when she felt something hit her chest. The force was so powerful it knocked her back on her heels right into James. She knew his arms were around her even though she couldn't feel it. Snow looked down. Something dark was staining her shirt. It was her favourite shirt. She found it odd that she would think of that at the moment. A dark red stain flowed across her chest like a growing ink spot. _Blood. _Her own.

Oddly enough at first, she didn't feel anything. Nothing at all. She thought she heard the faint but growing sounds of emergency sirens in the background... And then she couldn't breathe! An excruciating pain ripped through her body. She couldn't help it and her knees gave way. She suddenly felt strong arms lower her to the ground. She heard people yelling and screaming in the background. There were gunshots exchanged. She thought she heard Emma's voice... her Emma. She couldn't even bring herself to turn her head and see what was happening.

She realized James was cradling her body to his. She looked up to see tears pooling in his eyes. A look of agony on his face that she would never forget. She tried to tell him she loved him, but no sound came out even as she moved her mouth. She only hoped he could read her lips. She could feel herself fading. All the while, James was begging her to hang on. She tried to keep her eyes open but she couldn't.

"Hang in there, Snow! You've got to hang on! Help is here. Please, stay with me... Don't you dare leave me!" She heard her husband yell.

She suddenly felt another set of arms around her. "Hang on Mare, I'm right here. The paramedics are here too. You're gonna make it... Just open your eyes for me... You're gonna make it." It was Emma. Where did she come from? Snow wondered.

She realized that she was in the arms of the two people that she loved most in the world. Despite the pain, she felt at peace. She didn't want to die. She had just found her family and she didn't want to leave them. But if she had to go at that moment, then she was glad it was this way. Knowing her husband and daughter had found each other, she surrendered to the darkness.

_The local hospital_

James barely recalled anything that happened between the trip from the bank to the hospital. He didn't recall ever being this afraid in all his life... Not even on the day his daughter was born. He felt so helpless looking through the glass doors where the doctors were working frantically to save his wife. He felt a seething rage for the dead gunman. The bullet was meant for him! He also felt anger at his wife for doing something so stupid as to take the bullet for him. It was _his_ job to keep her safe... Not the other way around! But most of all he was scared to death. Snow White was his reason for living. And he was a hair's breadth from losing her... So soon after he just found her again.

He looked down at his jacket. It was stained with so much blood. His wife's. He was so glad the gunman was dead. His only regret was that he didn't have the pleasure of killing the man himself. The gunman was shot between the eyes. The bullet had come from the his daughter Emma's gun. They had exchanged a few shots, but the gunman was no match against the her. One of the tellers must have punched one of the panic buttons. That must've been how Emma knew to come.

So here he was with his daughter, watching through the glass windows as the doctors tried desperately to save the most important woman in their lives. He hadn't realized that Emma had grasped his hand until she squeezed it.

"She's going to be alright, David. She's stronger than she looks. Trust me, I've known her longer than you." Emma said.

"She's just lost so much blood." James said, despair evident in his voice.

Emma looked like she was about to answer when he heard a high pitched tone coming from the room. He saw the monitor that was hooked up to Snow. He realized that his wife just flat lined. Fear washed over him like ice through his veins.

"No!" Emma cried.

James took his daughter in his arms, not entirely sure if he was giving comfort or taking it. They both held their breaths as the doctor tried reviving Snow with the defibrillator. James prayed to whatever deity would deign to listen. Hell, he would've made a deal with the devil himself at that moment to save his wife.

"David, look!" Emma said. "They brought her back."

James looked right away at the monitor that his wife was hooked on. He saw that there was activity on it once again. He let out a huge breath of relief, one he didn't even realize he was holding.

After several minutes, the doctor approached them. He recognized the doctor as Doc from their world. Snow's beloved friend who, like everybody else, didn't remember her.

"How's my wife?" James asked. He noticed Emma gave him a weird look, obviously for him calling Snow his wife, but he ignored it.

"I'm sorry to say, she's lost too much blood. If we can't get a blood transfusion done right away we'll lose her for sure." The doctor said.

"Then what are you waiting for? Just do it!" Emma said, obviously beating James to it.

"It's not that simple. Mary Margaret has an incredibly rare blood type. We don't have a match for her I'm afraid. Now I have someone scouring other hospitals looking for a match, but it's not likely we'll get some in time." The doctor said sadly.

"What can we do?" James asked.

"Does she have family in the area? Parents? Perhaps siblings?" The kind doctor asked.

"No, she doesn't. Not that we know." Emma answered.

"That's too bad. If she did, there would be a good chance they would be compatible." The doctor said.

It dawned on James that Emma was the key to saving her mother! She was the only blood relation, aside from Henry, that Snow had. He had to convince Emma to do it.

"Emma, I think you're compatible with Sn... er... Mary Margaret. You have to try and save her." James said.

"David, I would give anything to help Mary, but you're grasping here... The chances of me being a match is slim... Beyond slim in fact. It would take them at least a few hours to even determine my blood type. By then it'd be too late." Emma said.

"I know, I know. There's no time to check for a match. We have to go on faith here." James answered.

"Are you talking about a direct blood transfusion? Are you crazy, David?" Emma yelled.

The doctor added, "I have to agree, Mr. Blanchard. If Miss Swan is not a direct match with your wife the transfusion would kill her."

"But you said so yourself, she's going to die anyway if she doesn't get the transfusion!" James said.

"Yes but... We don't even do direct blood transfusions. Regulations force us to screen each donor thoroughly. There are so many risks such as blood borne diseases, and blood type incompatibilities" The doctor said. Before James could answer, a nurse called the doctor back into the emergency room.

It was just him and Emma now. "Please Emma, I'm begging you. She's going to die if you don't."

"I would rather help in searching for a match than killing her." Emma said. "I would rather wait until they find a blood-type match because _if_ I'm not a match... And I'm probably not... Then Mary will die."

"No, you don't understand-"

"Now, as Sheriff, I can use my connections to search for relatives of hers... She's never really talked about her family to me, but she told me she grew up here in Storybrooke all her life. She must have a relative somewhere." Emma said.

"You're not going to find any relatives of hers. You're wasting your time!" James said, completely frustrated.

"Oh, and you're not? Where in the world would you even get an idea that I'd be a match?" Emma answered, sounding just as frustrated.

"Look, Emma I don't want to argue. I can't explain why I think you're a match... I just do. Please trust me." James begged.

"I can't go on blind faith here, David. I need more." Emma said.

"Please, just trust me."

"I need more." Emma insisted.

James was torn. It was too soon, he couldn't tell his daughter the truth... Not yet. But what choice did he have. He knew his daughter had an uncanny knack for recognizing lies. More than that, he couldn't come up with a plausible lie to explain himself.

"I know that you're a likely blood type match for Mary Margaret because you two are related." James said.

Emma looked slightly stunned. She clearly didn't expect that answer. James knew she didn't believe him, yet he could also tell that she couldn't find any dishonesty in him. She was obviously torn.

"What would make you think that, David? Is it because Mary and I have a small, passing resemblance to each other?" Emma asked.

"No I-"

"How could you possibly know about my family history when I myself know nothing about it?" Emma asked.

"I know because I'm your father!"

There was a stunned silence between them. James could not quite believe he just said what he did and Emma looked like she couldn't believe what he said either. James knew that any other person would have scoffed at his claim. But he knew his daughter couldn't detect a lie and it baffled her. He knew that she knew he spoke what he believed was true. Neither said anything for a few seconds... Then Emma broke the silence.

"And Mary Margaret?" She asked.

"Your mother."

**To be continued...**

**So you guys still with me? Once again, forgive me for the most-likely-incorrect medical details in my story. I just go by what I see on TV. Granted, I do have a life outside of fan fiction so I'll admit I did little research. Sorry for the long wait between chapters, I was busy for the Christmas long weekend. If you'd like to know how a chapter's coming along or if you want to know when I'm going to post the next one, you can follow me on Twitter (at)kookykrumbs, sorry but I couldn't add the 'at' symbol. Cheers everyone, keep those reviews coming!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Title: Bid Memories Return**

**Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 6 is fair game. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.**

**Author's Notes: Let me just say first of all that A.) I'm not a doctor and B.) I'm not a geneticist. That being said, please excuse all of the technical inaccuracies in the chapter below. I have no idea if a doctor can go ahead and order DNA testings but for the sake of my story I just had him do it. Forgive me if that bothers you. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Chapter 10**

_At the hospital_

"My mother?" Emma said, incredulously. "Let me guess, you've been speaking to Henry?"

"I know you don't believe him, but what he's been trying to tell you is true." James said.

"Look, David... I've humoured Henry all these months because he's a little boy and he needs his fantasies. But you're a grown man and so I'm going to tell it to you straight. Fairytales don't exist!" Emma cried, exasperated.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but it's the truth, Emma! Would I lie to you at a time like this?" David asked.

"Look at me, David! And now, look at Mary Margaret in there!" Emma said, pointing through the glass doors. "She couldn't be more than a few months older than me! Does that not occur to you? Does simple math escape you?"

"It's the curse! It prevented us from aging, it-"

"Oh let me guess... The mayor, also known as the Evil Queen, enacted this curse." Emma interrupted.

"Yes!" James practically yelled.

"David, I think you're suffering from post-traumatic stress. Are you listening to yourself? It's not possible!" Emma said.

"Look at me, Emma. I'm not losing my mind. I've known for months now. Your mother and I didn't tell you because we knew you wouldn't believe us. But we need you now... _She _needs you now." James pleaded.

"I can't do this right now, David. Every second we spend arguing over this could mean the difference between Mary living or not." Emma said, as she walked away.

"Wait, where are you going?" David asked.

"I'm going back to the Sheriff's office to look for possible family members of Mary's." Emma said.

"No, please don't. You won't find any and you'll just be wasting valuable time!" David pleaded.

But Emma kept walking away. Emma had reached the exit door when James yelled, "You have a tiny birthmark on the small of your back. On the left side."

Emma froze in her tracks. She didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Yeah, well... We've been living together for the past few months... you must've caught a glimpse."

"You know I haven't." James said.

"Well, you walked in on me when I was in the shower that one afternoon... You must've seen it then." Emma said, looking very torn.

"You know I didn't." James said.

"That doesn't prove anything!" Emma said, completely frustrated.

"You also have a mole on the back of your neck. How would I know that? Think about it Emma, how would I know that since you don't ever wear your hair up?" James asked.

"I don't know! Who knows, maybe you're a creep that examines me while I sleep or something!" Emma said sarcastically, throwing up her hands in frustration.

"Do you really believe that?" James asked, knowing she didn't. "What if I were to tell you that you had a mole right near the bottom of your chin when you were just a baby."

Emma was silent for a few moments. "I had that mole removed several years ago. How could you possibly know about that?"

"Because I was the last person to hold you before your mother and I were forced to make the most difficult decision a parent ever has to make. Knowing I wouldn't see you for many years, I engraved the memory of you in my mind."

"I... It's just not possible!" Emma cried.

James approached Emma ever so slowly. "Emma, you've always claimed that you can tell when a person is not telling the truth. You've bragged time and again that you can tell even when a person is just omitting the truth. Now, you tell me... Am I lying?"

"I... I believe that _you_ believe what you're saying to me." Emma whispered.

"All those years ago I put all my faith in you that you would find us again and save us. Now I'm asking you to put your faith in me." James said.

"You're asking me to suspend... reality. _My _reality!" Emma answered.

"Are you willing to risk Mary Margaret's life to prove me wrong?" James asked.

"And are you willing to risk her life to prove yourself right?" Emma asked.

James felt like they were at a stalemate. He needed to convince his daughter of the truth but it was proving to be a tall order. He could tell she was beginning to at least consider the validity of what he was saying. But time wasn't on their side.

"I love Mary Margaret. She means more to me than my own life. You _know _that. I would not risk her life on a guess. I am telling you the truth... I know you know that." James said.

"I know you're telling me what _you _believe to be the truth." Emma said.

"I know you think me someone who's prone to being rash and impulsive. But nothing could be further from the truth. I am not the type to make wild and unsupported statements. Tell me, how else could you explain how I know the things I know about you?" James asked.

"...I don't know." Emma finally admitted.

"Please, do what your heart tells you is right... Not what logic dictates." James said.

"If I do this... And you're wrong... Then Mary Margaret dies." Emma said.

"If you don't do it, then she dies anyway... Think about it, Emma. Even if I was wrong, and you _could_ find Mary's relatives somewhere here in Storybrooke, what are the chances you could get them here on time?"

"Slim." Emma admitted. "...And if I can't get them here on time, she dies anyway."

James gave his daughter a sad smile, knowing he was finally getting through to her. James took his daughter's hands in his and led her back just outside Snow's room. He placed his hands against the glass doors and looked at his wife.

"We need to give her, her best chance." James said to his daughter, repeating what his wife said to him all those years ago.

Emma nodded, "I'll speak to the doctor then."

_Snow's hospital room; five days later_

Snow watched as her daughter walked nervously back and forth in her hospital room arranging the bouquets of flowers she received, putting aside the 'get well' balloons, and fluffing her pillow every few minutes. She sensed the restlessness in her daughter.

Her husband told her everything that happened since the shooting at the bank. She could understand the emotional turmoil her daughter was in. She wanted nothing more than to get up and give Emma a hug, to comfort her as only a mother could. But she wasn't sure if her daughter would welcome it just yet. More than that, she didn't have the strength to do it. It was just the two of them at the moment. James had left a few minutes ago to buy some lunch at the local deli.

Emma hadn't come by to visit her until today. James told her how Emma had saved her life. He also told her what he had to tell Emma to convince her. Snow knew what it cost her daughter to give up reason and go by faith. She could understand why her daughter had stayed away for a while. It was certainly an awkward situation to say the least.

"Are you thirsty Mare? Do you need me to get you a glass of water?" Emma asked, breaking the silence.

"No, I'm fine. The two other glasses of water you brought me still aren't finished." Snow said, grinning and pointing at the glasses beside her bed.

Emma chuckled nervously, "Yeah... I guess I just forgot. Silly me."

"Emma, stop cleaning up. Come sit beside me." Snow said, pointing to the empty chair beside her bed.

Emma reluctantly put down the vase she held in her hands, and slowly went to sit beside Snow. She noticed that Emma was avoiding eye contact with her.

Snow reached for her daughter's hand, "Emma, I want to thank you for saving my life. I know what it cost you."

"It's just a few pints of blood. No big deal." Emma said, shrugging.

"Thank you for trusting him. I know it was-"

"It's not like I had much of a choice." Emma interrupted. "I mean, after all, what other options did we have? You didn't have a blood-type match anywhere here in Storybrooke. I figured since I was the only person from out of town, we'd give it a shot."

Snow smiled warmly at her daughter, knowing that despite the overwhelming evidence facing her, she was still in denial. "Well, it might not be a big deal to you, but it is to me. Thank you."

Emma abruptly stood up, surprising Snow. "Can you believe the reason David thought I'd be a match for you is because he thinks we're mother and daughter? I mean, how crazy is that?"

"Is it really so crazy? You _did_ turn out to be a match." Snow said. "I'm living proof of that."

"An amazing coincidence." Emma replied, almost petulantly.

"I don't believe in coincidences... And I think deep down, neither do you. Not in this instance at least. The doctor said so himself, Emma. Finding a match for me at such short notice was like hitting all six numbers of a lottery ticket. The odds against were staggering."

"Did you not hear me, Mary? David thinks you're my mother! Are you not even the slightest bit worried over his mental state? I mean, you're sleeping with the man for God's sake!" Emma said, throwing up her hands, completely exasperated.

"Emma, don't be like that." Snow said, admonishing her daughter. "I know what he's asked you to believe is incredibly far-fetched, but if you looked closely... Really closely, you'll see that it answers a lot of questions."

"Good God! Don't tell me you believe it too... I mean, we're the same age for crying out loud. I'd sooner believe you were my sister than my mother!" Emma said.

"Look, Emma... When I started remembering who I was, I had a hard time believing it myself. I know the doubts you're going through. But it is what it is. The sooner you accept it, the easier it'll be." Snow said to her daughter.

"I think everyone around me has become delusional. First Henry, then David and now you? I really didn't expect this from you, Mare." Emma said.

"Well what does that tell you, Emma? You know me to be a very reasonable person. If I believe, don't you think there's truth to what Henry's been saying all along?" Snow asked.

"I've let go of my childish fantasies long before most kids ever do." Emma said.

"I know and it breaks my heart that you had to grow up so fast." Snow said sadly, "I would gladly have traded my life to spare you all you have suffered. But I never had the choice."

"You and David are asking me to accept the absurd." Emma whispered.

"We are asking you to accept the truth." Snow said. "Haven't you ever wondered why you felt a connection with me, almost from the moment we met? I know I wasn't the only one. You trusted me almost immediately when it usually takes you years to trust someone. And I know that deep down, you consented to the blood transfusion because your heart told you that David was right... Even if your mind is taking its time catching up."

"You know I-" Emma started, but was interrupted by the doctor entering the room.

"Good afternoon ladies. Mary Margaret how are you feeling today?" The soft-spoken Doc asked.

Snow had to smile at her dear friend, Doc who unfortunately didn't remember her, "I'm feeling much better today. It's still a little hard to breathe, but it's getting better."

"I'm so glad to hear it. Your chest x-rays came back and I'm really pleased with how fast you're healing." Doc said. "I'm so pleased in fact, that I'm going to allow you to go home today."

"That's wonderful! I'm sure Ja... er David would be happy as well to not have to sleep in that uncomfortable chair anymore. I keep insisting each night that he go home, but he never listens." Snow said.

"Well, it's really all thanks to Miss Swan here. If she hadn't convinced me to perform the direct blood transfusion on you... Well, you certainly would've died." Doc said.

"I'm indeed a lucky woman, Doc." Snow said.

"Yes absolutely, it was lucky that your husband suggested Miss Swan as a match for you. It really was truly remarkable how he turned out to be right. I still can't wrap my mind around it. If your husband was just guessing at the time, then his instincts are one for the ages! I mean, it turned out that Miss Swan and you are in fact relatives." Doc said, waving a manila folder in front of Snow.

"Pardon me?" Emma asked.

"Well, Miss Swan, I was very curious you see. Like I said a few days ago to Mary and David, the chances of you being a blood type match was so small as to be minute. It was difficult for me to accept that it was mere coincidence. So what I did was I took a sample of both yours and Mary's blood and sent it to our DNA testing lab." Doc said.

"You did _what_?" Emma asked incredulously.

"We did come across some glitches. And I'm still waiting for the final results... Miss Swan, as I understand it, you were adopted weren't you?" Doc asked.

"Yeah, so?" Emma asked.

"Well, I'm almost confident that you and Mary Margaret are sisters!" Doc said.

"I thought you were still waiting for the final results." Emma said.

"A mere formality. See here, in these preliminary results..." Doc said, pulling out the papers from his manila folder, "The DNA testing is showing a match between you and Mary Margaret, but not as sisters... As mother and daughter."

Snow tried to hide her grin as she saw the stunned look forming on her daughter's face.

Doc continued with his explanation, "But of course that's obviously a mistake! Mary Margaret is certainly not old enough to have an adult daughter your age. So I had the lab run the tests again, but again I got the same results. It's rather baffling as it's a very reputable lab I sent it to. But don't worry, this third time I had the samples sent to a different lab so I should be getting the results back soon."

"May I see those test results?" Emma asked, grabbing the files from Doc's hands. Snow had to chuckle inwardly. It wasn't like her daughter could read the test results as she wasn't a medical professional.

"Anyway, what's undisputable Miss Swan is that you and Mary Margaret share the same Mitochondrial DNA and that is how I've come to the conclusion that you _must_ be siblings." Doc said rather excitedly.

Snow decided to speak up, wanting to erase all doubts from her daughter's mind, "Doc, say you didn't know me and Emma... Say you were given those test results without any names or ages. What conclusion would you come to?"

"Well my dear, just from these papers alone, the conclusion would be that Sample A is the offspring of Sample B as is indicated right here in the lines on this graph." Doc said, pointing to the chart in Emma's hands. "But of course, that's a mistake... a minor technical glitch I'm sure."

"I'm sure... Thank you, Doc" Snow said, smiling at him.

"Well, I have to be off, they're waiting for me at surgery on the fourth floor. Excuse me." Doc said smiling as he took the test results back from Emma and left the room.

Emma sat in the chair beside Snow's bed, still as stone, obviously deep in thought. Snow decided to break the silence. "You know... When the second lab returns those test results, nothing will have changed. The poor Doc, I'm sure, will run a dozen more tests after that one and they'll all come back the same."

Emma stood, a little wobbly, obviously stunned by the irrefutable evidence just thrust upon her. "I'll be damned."

"Hey everyone, I'm back. Sorry it took a while, the line-up at the deli was longer than normal." James said, walking into the room, a huge smile on his face. "Anyway, Emma, I got your favourite here, a cheese steak sandwich with everything on it and a side of barbeque chips. Just the way you like it."

But before James could hand her the paper bag, Emma brushed past James and out the door.

"I don't need a sandwich, I need a drink." Emma mumbled.

Snow just giggled at her husband's confused look. "What'd I miss?"

**To be continued...**

**I'm sure you've all noticed the creative liberties I've taken with Emma's body so to speak. I of course have no idea where her birthmarks and moles are located and so I made them up. I hope you all don't mind. Anyway, thanks a lot for the encouraging feedback. Like any writer, reviews are food for my soul. Please feel free to leave me a message anytime if you have any suggestions or comments. I'm on Twitter, I'm Kookykrumbs there. I'm always giving my reviews on episodes of OUAT as well as updates of my stories in progress. Cheers!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Title: Bid Memories Return**

**Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 6 is fair game. Also, spoilers for the ending of the hit movie Captain America... Yes, that's right... Just... Just go on ahead and read the story... Or perhaps you might want to watch the movie first... Whatever.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.**

**Author's Notes: Thanks a lot to everyone who followed me on Twitter (I'm Kookykrumbs on there for those of you who don't know). Your constant bombardment of ideas was truly helpful! It also made my job easier as a writer since I can throw anything that stumps me out there on Twitter and you guys just solve it for me! It's much appreciated!**

**Chapter 11**

_Home at last_

Snow was so glad to be back home. She basked in the smell and feel of the place as Emma helped her through the entrance to their home. She was still in a wheelchair, unfortunately. One of the conditions for her release was for her to stay off her feet. She was only too willing to oblige.

"Darling, I'll just place these bags in your room?" James asked, following after them with her bags in his hands.

"_Our_ room... And yes please." Snow said, smiling at her husband.

The fact that Emma now knew who they both were, there was no sense left in hiding behind pretences. Snow felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She and James no longer had to hide. They could speak freely in front of Emma now. They could even share a room as a married couple should.

James came back after a few moments and lifted Snow from the wheelchair and gently carried her to the couch. "Here sweetheart, this should be more comfortable." After gently placing his wife on the couch, James immediately went to the kitchen and started making Snow something to eat.

"James, I'm not really hungry right now. Come back here and keep me company." Snow said to her husband.

Emma folded her mother's wheelchair and placed it behind the door. She looked around seemingly to check for something to do. When there was nothing, she walked towards her room.

"I guess I'll umm... leave you two." Emma said a little awkwardly.

"Wait, no!" James called after his daughter. "I meant... If you want to turn in, sure... But I thought perhaps... What I meant was that I'm sure you have questions."

Emma nodded in response.

"You can ask us whatever you want, sweetheart." Snow said, gesturing for her daughter to come closer.

Emma tentatively walked towards her parents. She slowly sat down on the chair opposite them. Neither James nor Snow said anything, giving their daughter a chance to gather her thoughts.

After a few moments, Emma broke the silence, "When did you find out I was your daughter?"

James was the first to answer, "I found out the day I first came here... It was the night my memories came back. When you and your mother left me here downstairs so you two could talk, I saw your baby blanket and recognized it. It was the one your mother knitted for you before you were born."

Emma looked at Snow, "And you?"

"I've only known a little over a week. My memories have all recently just returned... I had no idea who you were... or even who _I_ was, when I offered my spare room to you." Snow answered.

"I see." Emma said. "Look, I've heard Henry's version of things... Now I need to hear yours."

"Ask us anything." James said.

"You gave me up." Emma said, rather an asked.

James and Snow could only nod.

"Did you know that I was found by the side of the road with nothing but a blanket and a first name?" Emma asked.

Snow shook her head, a pained look on her face. "No, we had no idea what would happen after you escaped. All we knew was that you'd be safe from the curse... And that you were destined to find us again."

"You have no idea what I've been through since." Emma said.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way." James said to his daughter, "Your mother was supposed to have gone with you. You see, only _one _could escape the curse. Our friend was working frantically to finish the wardrobe that would protect you and your mother from the curse."

Snow added, "But I went into labour unexpectedly. You came weeks early. It must've been the enormous stress I was under. But by the time the wardrobe was finished, it was too late and your father couldn't move me."

"And that's why I was sent alone." Emma concluded.

"Yes. But you have to understand, it was only after we had run out of options and time did we make the decision to give you up." James said.

Emma took a few minutes to absorb what her parents had just told her. Snow knew it must've been hard for her daughter, overwhelming even... To have believed one thing for so many years, then in one instance find out the entire truth.

"You would have left him to stay with me?" Emma asked her mother, realizing the enormous sacrifice she had been willing to make for her.

"I'm your mother." Snow simply said.

James added, "You're a mother too, Emma. I know you would always put Henry's well-being ahead of your own happiness."

"We're no different, Emma. You will always come first to us." Snow said.

"My whole life... I thought it was because no one wanted me." Emma whispered.

"You were loved, so much... You still are." Snow said, reaching for her daughter's hand.

Snow didn't expect it, but her daughter more than just took her hand, she embraced her. Snow was so touched. She couldn't help it, she started crying. It felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off her. It had eaten away at her... The fact that her daughter grew up thinking her parents had abandoned her by the side of the road. Her heart felt so much lighter now that Emma knew the truth.

James joined in the family hug, embracing his two girls. "You'll never be alone again, Emma. I promise you that."

After several more minutes of hugs, tears and exchanging words of regrets and what-could-have-beens, Emma decided to address the big elephant in the room, "So... what do I call you guys?"

Snow and James both laughed at their daughter's attempt to lighten the mood.

"I'm serious, you two. I mean, I can't even call you Mary or David since those aren't even your real names. And 'mom' and 'dad'... Well, that'll take some getting used to for me. Don't expect those any time soon." Emma said.

"In public, you definitely have to continue calling us Mary and David." James said, "But in private, it doesn't matter what you call us as long as you're comfortable with it."

"Your father's right. As much as I'd love to be called 'mom', it'll only mean something to me if it's what you want." Snow said.

The family sat together comfortably for a long while, just enjoying each other's company. They were grateful that fate had given them a second chance. It was one that they would not waste.

After a while, Emma stood up. "Well, I have to say, I've endured more drama in the last twenty four hours than I have my entire twenty eight years... I'm umm... going to go for a walk. I need some fresh air. I'll catch you guys later."

"Emma, it's late." Snow said.

"It's only nine o'clock. Besides, it's not like Storybrooke is ripe with hardened criminals." Emma answered.

"There's just my stepmother who could put any hardened criminal to shame." Snow mumbled.

"Don't stay out too long." James added.

"You're sounding like a dad already." Emma said, winking at her father as she left the apartment.

A few moments after Emma left the apartment, James turned to his wife and said, "There's just way too much of you in her."

Snow could only chuckle at her husband's observation. "Darling, you're exaggerating."

"Please, you were always so headstrong. I could never make you do anything you didn't want to." James said. "It was one of the things I missed most about you, when you still didn't have your memories back yet. As Mary Margaret, you were so docile."

"Well... My memories are back in full force now." Snow said.

James grinned, "I only wish you had them already the night I asked you to meet me by the toll bridge. I can imagine it... You kicking my butt after all the trouble you went through, then me not choosing to be with you after all that."

"Nah, I have too much pride for that." Snow said, smiling. "I would never force you to love me."

"You would never have to." James said, leaning forward to kiss his wife.

"I suppose... Had I been Snow White already then, I would've probably been able to hold back my tears until you were out of sight." Snow said, a sad smile on her face.

"I'm so sorry." James said, taking Snow in his arms. "I hate myself for that."

"Don't be, I didn't mention it to make you feel bad... I was merely contrasting the difference between my persona as Snow and Mary Margaret... Sometimes it amazes me how I acted so differently when I didn't remember who I was." Snow said.

"Still, it's my job to protect you from any hurt... I'm not supposed to be the one to cause you to be hurt." James said.

Snow just shrugged, "It was the way the curse was designed. It was supposed to leave us unhappy. And in the end, it didn't matter if we were Snow and James or Mary and David... We could never be happy without each other. I think my stepmother knew that."

James could only nod in agreement. He didn't say anything for quite some time which worried his wife a little.

"What's bothering you, Charming?" Snow asked her husband.

James gave a small smile at his wife's nickname for him. "I was so close to losing you... When I saw you step in front of me to take that bullet... It was like a nightmare happening in slow motion. I could see what was about to happen, but I couldn't do anything."

"There was nothing else I could do." Snow answered. "I knew in that split second that if I died you would never forgive me... But I also knew, that if _you_ died... I wouldn't survive it."

"Well, you took about twenty years off my life! You have to promise me you'll never do something like that again! _I _wouldn't survive it!" James practically yelled. "It's my job to protect you, not the other way around."

"Could you promise me the same thing? If the situations were reversed?" Snow asked.

"No." James simply said.

"I thought so." Snow said.

Neither said anything for a few moments, both facing the enormity of almost being separated again, only this time it would've been permanently. After all they've endured, it would've been the cruellest fate if it all ended with a mere bullet.

James was the first to break the silence, "I was just thinking... There's still a lot of things up in the air. We still don't know how to break the curse. We don't know how much longer we're going to be in this world. Hell, we don't even know if we _can _go back to our old lives even if we _were_ able to break the curse..."

Snow sighed, "I try not to think about it. It gives me a headache."

"I know I mentioned it to you before in passing... But now I want to ask you..."

"What is it?" Snow asked.

"Will you marry me?" James asked.

Snow giggled. In some ways, her husband looked just as nervous now than he did the first time he asked her the same thing so many years ago. "Of course I will. But darling, it's really not necessary. We know who we are. That's good enough for me."

"Well, what if it's not good enough for me?" James asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Our lives were cut short because of this stupid curse! We had plans and dreams that never came to fruition." James sighed. "We'll never get the chance to be the parents we should've been to Emma. And who knows if we'll even get the chance to be proper grandparents to Henry..."

"What are you trying to say?" Snow asked her husband.

"I just... I just want to pick up where we left off. I'm tired of putting our lives on hold. Time is moving again as we speak, thanks to our daughter. But that also means that time is no longer a luxury that we have." James said, "I still want to have a family with you. I want a chance to experience fatherhood. You know, I want to be a good father and a good husband. Who's to say we can't have anymore children?"

"James, I want nothing more than to live a normal life with you. But it would be a selfish decision to start a family when things are so uncertain... We've already put Emma through so much because we had her at the wrong time. Could we live with ourselves if it happened again?" Snow asked.

"I know where you're coming from, I really do... But if we live our lives, always in fear... Always basing our decisions on what the queen may or may not do... Then we've lost already." James said.

"You're right." Snow sighed, cuddling closer to her husband, "We should have a whole brood of children if only to piss off the queen even more."

"Now that's the spirit! What better way to exact our revenge than to be happy." James said, laughing. "But in all seriousness, Snow. We owe it to ourselves to live our lives and live it the way we want to."

"Mm hmm... As for the curse, I guess we can't postpone our lives until it's broken because who knows when that'll happen if ever. And we're not getting any younger." Snow said.

"Unfortunately not. But I strongly believe that fate gave us a second chance. Think about it, had you gone into the wardrobe all those years ago with Emma, you would've aged twenty eight years and left me behind a young man. But it didn't happen that way, and as much as I hated what our daughter had to go through alone without you, I am thankful for how things turned out." James said.

"I don't even want to think of that what-if... I guess I would've given new meaning to the word 'cougar'." Snow said, inwardly shuddering.

James just chuckled, "It's ok, you'd still be _my_ cougar."

"Don't even joke about that!" Snow said, playfully shoving her husband. "You know, I rented a movie a few weeks ago. It was called Captain America. The ending was so sad because the Captain's ship crashed and he was frozen for seventy years. He was still a young man when he woke up again... But the woman he loved had aged. I had no idea when I was watching the movie how close I myself had come to living through something like that."

"Don't dwell on it, darling. If we spend too much time thinking of what could've happened we'd lose our minds. The fact is it didn't happen. And most importantly of all, we're together." James said.

James got up off the couch and gently lifted his wife in his arms, "Come on, let's get you ready for bed. It's been a long day."

"It seems I'll need all the rest I can get, after all, when I'm well enough it seems I have a wedding to plan." Snow said. "By the way, make sure your divorce for your fake marriage has been finalized. You may never have married Kathryn, but the queen made a pretty real looking marriage certificate for you two. No priest will ever marry us here in Storybrooke with that."

"Relax, hon. Kathryn didn't contest it and it was finalized over a month ago. Don't worry, you're not marrying a bigamist." James said, chuckling.

"Good... Wedding preparations are stressful enough without having to deal with that." Snow said.

"Look at the bright side, sweetheart. You'll have Emma to help you, unlike our first wedding." James said.

"True... And I think it'll be a good opportunity to get her more comfortable with me again. It must be unsettling for her, just last week she thought of me as her friend... And now circumstances are forcing her to think of me as a mom." Snow agreed.

"Yes, our family is indeed... unique." Her husband said, as he carefully placed her on her bed... or rather _their_ bed.

James helped his wife change into her pyjamas, careful not to jostle her too much. When she was comfortably settled he proceeded to change his clothes as well. He slipped in carefully under the covers, spooning behind her.

"Good night, Snow. I love you." James said, kissing his wife.

"I love you too." Snow answered her husband.

With his wife looking like she'd fallen asleep, James proceeded to dim the lamp on the night stand. He was halfway asleep himself when his wife shook his arm that he had around her. Immediately on alert, wondering if there was anything wrong, he asked, "Snow, is something the matter? Are you alright?"

"It just occurred to me..." Snow started, "We're going to be 'the Nolans'."

James had to chuckle at the image of his wife wrinkling her nose at the name, "What's wrong with my fake last name?"

"It was displayed on a huge sign outside the fake home you shared with your fake wife." Snow said, a little bitterly.

James couldn't help but laugh at the little bit of jealousy seeping through in his wife's voice, "Well, we'll only be 'the Nolans' on paper."

"I guess I could live with that... Since you put it that way." Snow said, grinning up at her husband.

"Besides, I'd imagine anything would be better than being called 'the Whales'." James said teasing his wife.

"Ohhh... You are so lucky I'm injured right now."

**To be continued...**

**Thanks everyone for reading. I thought I'd make this a bit of a fluff chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm almost done this story now. There will probably only be three or so chapters left. Feedback's always welcome :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Title: Bid Memories Return**

**Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 7 is fair game. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.**

**Chapter 12**

_One month later_

James had his wife comfortably nestled at his side, her head on his shoulder. Both were waiting for Emma and Henry to join them for breakfast. They were in a booth at Granny's reading a copy of the Daily Mirror together. The day's edition was particularly of interest to them considering the front page story was of the bank robbery that nearly destroyed their lives. On the cover of the paper was the face of the gunman. His name and face were finally revealed by authorities after a lengthy investigation.

All they've found out from the article so far was that the gunman's name was Preston Miller and that he wasn't from Storybrooke. James found it odd that an outsider would bother to visit their little town just to rob their local bank. He stared at the photo a while longer, trying his best to control his hate and anger for the man who nearly took his wife from him. There hadn't been a night since the incident at the bank when he hadn't dreamt of killing the man himself.

"Let it go, Charming." His wife said, obviously reading his thoughts. "You can't let this eat away at you forever. You have to let it go."

"I know, darling. It's just that before today, he was a faceless man. But now that I've seen his face, it's so much easier to hate him." James answered.

"Well sweetheart, he's dead. And so the only person your hate is hurting now is you. Let it go, if not for yourself, then for me." Snow said, taking her husband's hand in hers.

Just then, Henry came bouncing into the diner, his mother, Emma, right behind him. James waved happily to his daughter and grandson, motioning for them to sit in the seats, opposite him and Snow. Henry ran up to them and gave each of them a hug before settling in the seat in front of them. Emma just gave them a wry smile, obviously amused with Henry's enthusiasm.

"Hey Henry, how've you been?" James asked.

"I'm doing great! Now that my mom knows everything, Operation Cobra is running full steam ahead!" Henry answered, obviously very excited.

Snow chuckled, "Full steam ahead indeed."

"What took you guys so long?" James asked his daughter.

"I figured I'd give you guys a head start on your breakfast before Henry doesn't give you guys a chance to eat." Emma said, half jokingly.

"It's ok, Emma. We've missed him." Snow said.

James placed the newspaper he had in his hands down on the table to give his family his full attention when Henry commented on the front cover.

"Hey, I know that guy." Henry said, pointing at the photo of the gunman.

"This man? Are you sure?" James asked his grandson.

"I'm sure, he was at my house a little while back... I think his name was Percy... or Perkyn, or Payton... or something." Henry said, thinking very hard. "It was really late at night, I was supposed to be sleeping, but I went downstairs and he and my mom were in her office talking."

"Henry, this is important. Are you sure this was the man?" Emma asked her son.

"Absolutely." Henry said, obviously very confident.

James bent his head just a little lower and whispered to Henry, "Son, this was the man that shot your grandmother. He was the robber at the bank."

Henry was silent for a few seconds, the news was clearly very disturbing to him, "He was at my place just before the bank robbery happened."

"Oh my God," Snow said, her hand covering her mouth. "Do you think Regina..."

Emma grabbed her son by the shoulders, "Think hard, Henry. Did you hear what that man and the mayor were talking about?"

Henry shook his head, "I only saw them, I wasn't close enough to hear. I didn't think much of it. My mom has men visitors late at night sometimes."

James saw the look of utter disgust in his daughter's eyes and had to give her a look as if to say 'not now' before she said something. It was clear that Henry didn't understand the implication of his adopted mother having men over at the house at night. He wanted to keep it that way for now.

"So the mayor wanted you killed?" Emma asked her mother.

"Well, she's wanted me dead for a while... And I mean _a while_... But the gunman hadn't aimed at me though. He was aiming for your father." Snow answered. "Dear God, they tried to make it look like a bank robbery but it was just a cover-up."

"Damn, this is all my fault!" James swore. "If I hadn't lost my temper and revealed to the mayor that I remembered who I was, none of this would've happened!"

"Darling, you couldn't have known!" His wife said to him.

"It's important for her curse that no one remember who they really are. She must've seen you as a threat." Henry said.

"It makes sense." Emma said.

"And what better way for the Evil Queen to get revenge on the person she hates most than to have them watch the person they love most die in their arms." Henry said.

James was fuming. He could barely control his rage. He didn't even realize his knuckles were turning white, as he was clenching his fists so tightly, until his wife took his hands in hers.

"James... I know that look. You need to calm down." His wife told him.

James abruptly stood up, startling everyone. He opened his mouth to say something, but found he couldn't find the words. And so he stalked out of the diner. He could hear his wife and daughter close behind him on his heels.

"James, where are you going?" Snow asked, catching up to him and grabbing his arm.

"To the mayor's house." James answered, slightly annoyed by the question, as if the answer weren't obvious.

"Oh no, you're not!" Emma said, grabbing his other arm. "You look like you're ready to commit murder or something."

"And what if I am? I nearly lost my wife! Your mother! This was all _her_ doing!" James practically yelled.

"James, stop this! Put yourself together and think." Snow said, trying to reason with her husband. "You have no proof. You have nothing but conjectures... I believe she was behind all of this just as much as you do. But she _is_ the mayor, and don't you forget it. She's too high profile for you to get away with anything... And I _know_ you. If you do something in the heat of the moment to her... You'll regret it. This... This blinding anger that's overtaking you right now, it's not you."

James calmed down a bit. The feel of his wife and daughter holding him seemed to help. He looked back at the diner and saw Henry looking at them through the window. He reminded himself that as much as he hated the mayor, she was still Henry's legal mother. That was another complication he had to add to the list. He took a deep breath.

"I can't stand idly by while that woman threatens my family." James said.

"You have no choice." His daughter said. "Look, I believe she's guilty too. I'll investigate into this a little further. Perhaps try to find some leads that will connect the dead gunman with her. But we have to do it my way."

"I just hate having my hands tied this way." James said, wearily.

"I know, darling... But Emma's the Sheriff. Let her deal with it... For now." Snow said, turning her husband back towards the diner. "Besides, I think we're safe for the immediate future. There was a lot of publicity surrounding the bank robbery and with the gunman's identity having just been printed in the morning paper, I doubt Regina would try anything new right now. She wouldn't risk getting discovered. She'll bide her time."

"I know chances are you're right... But it doesn't make me feel better." James said.

"Look, David... It's my family too. Please trust me to handle this." Emma said to her father.

James nodded at his daughter, knowing she wouldn't let the matter go and that she was just as tenacious as her mother... If not more so. Alright, so he felt slightly better. It was nice to have his daughter on his side for a change.

"Come on, honey." Snow said to her husband, "Let Emma look into this for now. Besides, you promised to look at wedding cakes with me later. I'm not letting you duck out on me now, I don't care how mad you are."

James knew when he was beat, and so he let his girls lead him back to the diner.

_Three Hours Later; The Storybrooke Bakery_

They'd been perusing wedding cakes for the last half hour at their local bakery. Snow was pleased that they were finally trying to decide between two cakes after having eliminated several early choices. She was also glad this little outing helped get her husband's mind off what they discovered earlier in the day. She had to admit, she had been just as furious as he was, but didn't want to show it so as not to add fuel to the already raging fire.

"I myself, would prefer the Lemon Chiffon flavour for your wedding cake as it isn't too dense. It's quite popular actually amongst our customers." The baker told them.

"I really love the design of this three-tiered cake." Snow said, pointing to one of his designs, "Would you be able to make this in a White Chocolate Raspberry Puree flavour?"

"Yes... Yes, I think it can be done. It will cost more though... The ingredients are more expensive, you see." The baker said.

"Don't worry about the cost." James said.

"Ahh... A good man, you're marrying there. Anything to make you happy eh?" The baker said to Snow who just blushed. "You know, if cost doesn't matter to you, then I have a cake in the back that might just be what you're looking for. It's quite big that's why it's not displayed here... No space, you see. Care to have a look?"

"Oh no," Snow said, laughing. "I can already imagine how expensive that would be."

"Come on, darling. At least have a look." James said.

"No, I'm happy deciding between these two here." Snow said, pointing to the two designs in front of her.

"Would you like to see it, sir? Perhaps you can convince your lovely bride after seeing it for yourself?" The baker said to James.

James nodded and followed the old man to the back of his bakery.

Snow continued looking between the two wedding cakes in front of her. She heard the bells on the store door jangle but didn't pay it any heed.

"Isn't it a little early in our relationship to be looking at wedding cakes?" She didn't have to look behind her to know who it was that was teasing her.

Snow turned around and was greeted by none other than, "Dr. Whale! Hi, it's nice to see you... Umm... What brings you here?"

"I was walking across the street and I saw you through the store windows. I thought I'd stop by and surprise you... You know, say hello." He answered in that cocky way of his.

"Well, I'm definitely surprised." Snow said, not knowing what else to add.

Dr. Whale moved closer to her, taking up some of her personal space, "You know, I never really found out why you stood me up that night."

Snow laughed nervously, "I didn't stand you up... Like I told you then, I had gotten stuck on the elevator at work for a couple of hours... And it was quite the experience... I just... I just felt it wasn't the right time."

"Uh huh... I've heard through the grapevine that you're with a certain Mr. Nolan." Dr. Whale said, twirling a strand of her hair.

Snow, feeling very uncomfortable, backed away. "We're together, yes."

"Was he the reason you didn't show up for drinks that night?" He asked.

Snow hesitated for only the briefest of moments, "Yes."

"That's too bad, we made a good couple." Dr. Whale said, arrogantly taking a bite out of an apple displayed on top of one of the cakes.

"We were never a couple... It was just-"

"One night. Yeah, yeah I know, but it was a hell of a night." The doctor interrupted her.

"Dr. Whale, now is certainly not the time nor place to talk about this." Snow said, pleadingly.

"Come on, now. _Dr. Whale_? That's not what you called me while you were writhing beneath me." He said, his face mere inches from hers.

Snow had to restrain herself from smacking him across the face and wiping his smug grin off. She couldn't believe he'd bring something like that up, and in a public place of all places. And she actually thought he was her friend... Sort of... Sleeping with the man was something she regretted the moment it was over and she began her walk of shame. It was the one and only time she had ever done something so reckless... So stupid. She felt enormously guilty after it happened. In hindsight she understood why that was. She had been a married woman, and her heart had known, even if her mind hadn't.

Back in the elevator when she and James had been stuck, she hadn't told him the whole truth. She felt guilty about withholding the truth from him. She tried justifying it to herself by saying she hadn't lied to him... That she merely omitted some details. Even after regaining her memories as Snow White, she justified to herself that James had probably slept with Kathryn when he didn't know who he was... She tried to justify to herself that telling James wouldn't change anything and that it would only bring him pain... But in the end, her excuses rang hollow to her own ears.

"I'm sorry you didn't get the memo, Dr. Whale. But it's over. I'm getting married. Please leave." Snow said through the lump in her throat, tears of anger overwhelming her. She wasn't so much angry at Dr. Whale as she was angry at herself.

"Suit yourself... You know where to find me. I can't imagine he's the type to keep you satisfied for too long." Dr. Whale said, smugly. She watched as he exited the store. She thought they had been alone when she heard someone clear their throat. And her heart dropped.

She slowly turned around to see her husband standing by the door. The look of anguish on his face told her everything she needed to know. Snow knew she should say something... Move... Do _something_... Anything to take that dreadful look from his face, but all she could seem to do was stand there.

Finally, he spoke. His voice was so raw and anguished that she almost didn't recognize it. "You had an affair with him."

A terrified look came over her face. This wasn't the way she wanted him to find out.

She stood there mutely, completely at a loss for words. Her silence seemed to be enough of an answer for him. With a hoarse sound of pain, James turned away from her. She heard him whisper, "I can't believe you lied to me."

Snow's eyes brimmed with tears as she watched him make his way to the store's exit. Somehow, she managed to force his name through the lump in her throat, "James... Please, let me explain."

**To be continued...**

**I bet you didn't see this coming. Sorry to the Dr. Whale fans out there, I know he wasn't portrayed in the best light in this chapter... but hey, I needed an antagonist and he fit the bill. I know that in Chapter 4 (which I wrote before Ep 7) I had Mary Margaret tell David that she just had a date with Dr. Whale and "that was that." Well, I inadvertently left myself a loophole by writing that chapter from David's point of view. Basically what I wanted to do was get my story more in line with what's happened on the show. And unfortunately, the show established that Mary Margaret had a one night stand with Dr. Whale... As much as that irks me. I thought the situation had potential for quite a bit of drama if James were to find out, after they've both regained their memories. So the next chapter will deal with that. Don't worry, I'm a strong believer of happy endings... This is merely an obstacle before the wedding. I hope I haven't turned you off my story. Cheers.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Title: Bid Memories Return**

**Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 7 is fair game. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.**

**Author's Notes: This is the longest chapter in the thirteen I've written so far. I hope that won't deter you from reading. So if not, sit back, relax and enjoy!**

**Chapter 13**

"James... Please, let me explain."

James didn't answer... Or perhaps he couldn't answer. He walked right past her and headed straight for the store exit. Snow quickly followed her husband outside.

"Please don't be angry with me." Snow pleaded.

James stopped in his tracks. He turned around and stared at his wife. His cold, blank, icy stare unnerved her. It was a look she wasn't familiar with. She would have preferred he ranted and raved at her. She had seen his anger before... Dealt with it. This cold silence was completely unfamiliar.

"James... Talk to me, please." Snow said, trying to get a reaction from him.

For what seemed like the longest time, her husband didn't say anything. She was just about to speak again, when he broke his silence.

"I... I think it would be best if we didn't talk right now. I'm just not thinking straight. I don't want to say something I'll regret later." James said, his voice raw with pain. He continued to walk away from her.

"Where are you going?" Snow asked.

"I don't know... I really don't know."

And so Snow watched her husband walk away from her with his head hung low, his shoulders stooped, and his hands in his pockets. She would have given anything to ease his broken heart... And she knew she had broken it. She knew because she would've been just as devastated had it been the other way around. She knew deep down that he didn't believe she cheated on him, but the heart certainly had a way of erasing all logic. The thought of him in the arms of another woman, regardless of the circumstances was enough to destroy her... In fact, it was that very thought that pushed her in the arms of the doctor all those months. Regret, indeed, was a heavy burden to bear.

_The apartment; One hour later_

Snow slowly and quietly opened the door to the apartment. Part of her had hoped that her husband would be home... But another part of her was dreading the confrontation. She knew that James had a possessive side to him. Truth be told, she had one as well where he was concerned. He'd never before had to deal with jealousy when it came to her, he never had reason to. These emotions overwhelming him at the moment were foreign to him and she knew that.

Snow's thoughts were interrupted by a voice from the washroom, "Mare, is that you?"

Snow quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, not ready to answer any questions, "Yes, Emma, it's just me."

Emma walked out of the washroom to greet Snow who sat down on the couch, her smile quickly disappearing when she noticed her mother's red and puffy eyes, "Mary, what happened? Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying, I just had something in my eyes." Snow said, her lie sounding lame even to herself.

"Bullshit. What happened?" Emma insisted.

"Nothing, really-"

"Have you forgotten that I have a real knack for spotting lies? Well... I'm spotting one right now." Emma said.

"It's... It's not something I should be talking to you about." Snow answered.

"Why not? Come on, Mare... If you can't trust your daughter then who _can _you trust?" Emma asked.

"It's _because_ you're my daughter that I can't talk to you about this." Snow said, dejectedly.

"It's because I'm your... Wait, where's David?" Emma asked.

"He's... I don't know." Snow said, shrugging her shoulders as if in defeat.

"You're crying because of him aren't you?"

"Look, Emma-"

"What did he do to upset you? I'm gonna kick his ass." Emma said, not waiting for a response from her mother.

"Emma, don't talk about your father that way!" Snow scolded her daughter.

"Well... It wouldn't be the first time he's made you cry... You're crying because of him, aren't you? Tell me I'm wrong." Emma said.

Snow's silence seemed to be enough of an answer for Emma.

"Look, Mare... I know it's difficult for you to discuss things between you and David to me now that you know I'm your daughter... But I was your friend first. Ask yourself, had we still been just simple roommates... Is this something you would've talked to me about?" Emma asked.

Snow simply nodded in answer.

"Then unburden yourself." Emma said, sitting next to her mother on the couch.

Snow didn't say anything for quite some time, gathering her thoughts. Emma didn't seem to mind and sat patiently next to her.

Finally, Snow broke the silence, "Emma, do you remember that afternoon when you found those flowers here? The ones sent by Dr. Whale."

"Yeah, the ones I threw in the trash bin. What about them?" Emma asked, obviously not having connected the dots quite yet.

"Well... Do you remember why he sent them?" Snow prodded.

"Sure, it was because he... Ohhhh... Oh no..." Emma said, realization dawning on her. "But how in the world did David find out?"

Snow then proceeded to tell her what took place at the local bakery. She told her how she and James were happily picking out a wedding cake. She explained how he stepped out for a few minutes and how Dr. Whale took that opportunity for himself. She described how her husband had overheard the conversation she had with Dr. Whale, and how hurt he was because of it. Everything poured out of Snow like water escaping from a broken dam. When it was over, she looked at her daughter, eager to hear what she had to say.

"That smug _bastard_." Emma said.

"Sweetheart, we really need to clean up your language, you know." Snow said, resignedly.

"Oh, as if you weren't thinking it yourself... I can't believe he'd do that to you! Never mind David... I'm going to kick _his_ ass." Emma said, affronted on behalf of her mother.

"Don't bother about Dr. Whale. Causing him bodily harm will not resolve things between me and your father." Snow said.

"Still... It would make me feel good." Emma said, a little petulantly.

Snow chuckled at her daughter, her little girl, ready to champion any cause for her. "I really don't care about Dr. Whale. There's only one man I care about, and that's your father."

"I know... But right now, he's being kind of a dick... Albeit, understandably so." Emma said.

"Emma, dear God, what am I going to do with your language?" Snow said, exasperated. "And what do you mean he's being a... a... well, you know?"

"Look, Mare... I said it before all those months ago and I'll say it again. You did nothing wrong. Granted, there's been a whole set of new complications after you had your memories returned, the most obvious being that you inadvertently committed adultery... But is it really adultery if the intent wasn't there? _I_ don't think so. And he shouldn't punish you for it." Emma said to her mother.

"He's not punishing me... In fact, he's not even talking to me." Snow said, sadly.

"That _is_ his punishment to you, whether he knows it or not. This distance he's showing you, deep down he knows it's hurting you." Emma said.

"Can you blame him?" Snow asked.

"Look I... I can't claim to have ever had a love as... _epic_ as yours and David's. I honestly don't know how I would've acted if I were in his place. But... I do remember how it felt like when I caught the man I had feelings for leaving the bed of another woman. The fact that it hurt so much, even when he wasn't my anything... I guess I can understand David's feelings even if I don't agree with them." Emma said. "Let me ask you, Mare, how would you feel had it been the other way around?"

"... Heartbroken."

"Exactly. He sees you as his, just as you see him as yours. There will always be pain and jealousy in the mix whenever there's a third party involved. Granted, your circumstances are really beyond the ordinary... But still. It can't be easy for him to imagine you in the arms of another man, in the throes of passion no less." Emma said.

Snow blushed at her daughter's words, very embarrassed to be discussing such matters with her. "... There was no passion... No love... All I was trying to do was ease my own pain that night."

"I know." Emma said, simply. "You should stop being so hard on yourself. If you think back... What drove you into the arms of another man? It was because the thought of him with Kathryn ate you up inside. If he was allowed to be with her then, he doesn't have the right to be upset that you took advantage of the same freedom."

"It's not about getting even, Emma." Snow tried to explain to her daughter, "In fact, when your father and I were stuck in the school elevator a while back, the topic of me and Dr. Whale came up... I had the opportunity to tell him then. But I chickened out... I just told him we went on a date and left it at that."

"Oh I see... I guess it's possible he thinks you omitted that little bit of information from him because you still had feelings for the good doctor." Emma said.

"Which is of course, absurd... But then again he's not thinking straight." Snow said. "I just wish he'd come home so we could talk... We really need to talk."

Emma stood up and grabbed her jacket and headed towards the door, "Don't worry, Mary... Everything will turn out well, I promise."

"Where are you going?" Snow asked her daughter.

"I just remembered... I had some errands to run." Emma said, smiling.

_An hour and a half later; In some bar_

James couldn't get his wife's tormented look from his mind. Now that he'd had a few drinks and was over the initial shock, he regretted leaving her when she had obviously been very distressed. But the image of her "writhing" beneath Dr. Whale, as the good doctor so elegantly put it, made him see red. He had to step away lest he did something he might regret for a very long time.

Logically speaking... If logic could even play a part considering the circumstances... He had no right to be upset. Snow hadn't cheated on him anymore than he had cheated on her when he had 'chosen' Kathryn over her all those months ago. He was trying really hard to figure out why he couldn't calm his emotions. His wife had always been faithful to him; loved him beyond reason. But after hours of circling over the question again and again... He found he had no choice but to accept the ugly truth. He couldn't get over it because the thought of another man knowing his wife so intimately made him puke-green with jealousy.

All his life, he had considered himself calm and collected when it came to women. He had never considered himself the type of man that women would swoon over. But there _had_ been women in his past... Nothing serious, of course. He had had the occasional outings with the neighbour's daughter... An occasional dance at the local fair when he was younger. He had even had a crush with old farmer Jacob's daughter not too long before he unexpectedly became Prince. But he had never felt possessive of any of those girls. He never experienced jealousy when he saw them with other men. He felt nothing but indifference for the most part.

What he was feeling now was entirely foreign to him. Never before had he ever felt jealousy when it came to a woman. But Snow White wasn't just any woman. She was his wife and his reason for living. Even after he met Snow, he had never felt jealousy when it came to her because he had never had any competition for her affections. If anything, he had gotten used to it being the other way around since _he _was the one set to be married when they had first met.

Another thing that really had his emotions in such a tangle was the fact that his wife had told him, or at least implied that nothing much had happened between her and the doctor.

In fact, he remembered her saying, "We went on one date... it was shortly before you came out of your coma... And that was that."

Ha, "that was that"! She also briefly mentioned that Dr. Whale had been 'there' for her the night of the toll bridge. Damn him for being so dense and not reading between the lines. "_There_" indeed.

James' thoughts were interrupted by the bartender handing him another drink, "Here's another one to drown your sorrows in, man."

"I didn't order another one." James answered.

"Yeah, I know. It's from the blonde behind you." The bartender said, pointing past James.

James turned around and saw his daughter staring back at him, comfortably lounged in a booth behind him. He promptly left the drink at the bar and joined his daughter in the booth.

Emma spoke first, "Do you know how long it took me to find you? I've spent the better part of the past hour scouring all the pubs and bars in a ten mile radius looking for you. Hell, I even checked the local library... You owe me some gas money."

"Why in the world would you be looking for me?" James asked.

"_Because_... I have a distraught mother back home who is just devastated because... Well, because you had your feelings hurt." Emma said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Look, Emma... This is not a conversation I want to be having with my daughter." James said.

"Oh please, what are you, like two days older than me? We're going to have this conversation whether you like it or not." Emma said, not giving an inch.

"I don't even understand why you're being so hostile to me. This... What's between me and your mother... Has nothing to do with you."

"It has _everything_ to do with me! How do you think I feel? I've just recently found my parents and have even _more_ recently begun to accept the fact... And now this? Did I find you two after twenty eight years just to witness your divorce?" Emma said, sardonically.

"Well, first of all... Wait, did your mother say she wanted a divorce? Because you know that-"

"Oh for God's sake, David, I was just being sarcastic." Emma interrupted.

James sighed, "Do you even know what happened?"

"Yes, I do... And I don't mean to be all sarcastic and flippant with you, but you have no right to be upset with Mary Margaret." Emma said.

"I know." James said simply.

"Then what the hell are you doing here drinking yourself to oblivion?" Emma asked.

"I can't help it... I know I have no right to be upset... To be angry. But I just am. I really can't help it." James said, wearily.

"Well, find a way to _help _it." Emma said. "Besides, this all happened because of you... Had you not broken her heart that night when she met up with you by the toll bridge..."

"I know, I know... Do you think I don't hate myself for that?"

"Find a way to get over it, David. For your sake as well as hers. What's happened is no one's fault. It was just a terrible set of circumstances... Nothing more... Let it go, please. You have to let it go." Emma pleaded with him.

"I'm trying... I really am." James said to his daughter.

"Look... I'm not as unsympathetic as I act a lot of the times... I know what this _means_ to you. But you have to let it go, otherwise it'll tear you and Mary apart... And I _know_ you two... That would be a fate worse than death. At the end of the day, it is what it is. Blame the 'Evil Queen' as you like to call her, but you need to resolve things between you and Mary Margaret before this situation festers."

"I'm just so jealous." James admitted in barely a whisper.

"I know." Emma said, complete understanding and even sympathy in her voice.

"I just don't understand... Why would she keep something like this from me? She implied that nothing happened! Did she have feelings for him? I don't get it!" James said, completely frustrated at the situation.

"Don't be dumb." Emma said, back to her sarcastic self, "She doesn't have eyes for any man but you... And deep down you _know _that. In fact, she probably didn't mention it because it meant nothing!"

"Do you think so?" James asked.

"I know so. And what difference would it have made, David? What if she _had_ come out and told you in the elevator that she _had _in fact been with Dr. Whale in _that _way... Would you have stopped pursuing her? Would you have stopped loving her? Had you known, what would you have done differently?" Emma asked.

James sighed tiredly, "... Nothing. I love her _that _much. Beyond reason."

"Good. And always remember it. You do know that the only reason she even ended up with that smug bastard of a doctor is because the thought of you and Kathryn... doing _it_ was more than her broken heart could handle, right?" Emma said.

"Not that this isn't the most awkward conversation to be having with my child... But Kathryn and I... We were never intimate."

"Oh..." Emma said, seemingly speechless.

"I mean, there were times when we sort of started... Or at least she tried starting something... But I just couldn't... I mean, I couldn't... That is, I just couldn't bring myself to... Or rather it was hard to-"

"Perform." Emma stated bluntly.

James couldn't help but turn scarlet red at that. But in the end he just nodded, "I always blamed it on not being fully recovered from my injuries, but that was a lie."

Emma added, "She wasn't Mary Margaret."

James merely nodded at his daughter.

Emma looked at her father understandingly, "Look, David... I need to get going. I wasn't lying to Mary earlier when I told her I had errands to run. She just had no idea you were part of it. Anyway, I won't be home for a couple of hours yet..."

James could take a hint. He smiled at his daughter and nodded indicating he understood. He stood up and started putting on his jacket, following his daughter out the exit. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He wasn't feeling wonderful by any stretch of the imagination, but at least understanding and clarity had tempered his jealousy. He was ready to talk to his wife.

_Back at the apartment; Twenty minutes later_

James walked into the apartment he shared with his wife and daughter. He looked around to see if there was anyone in the living room, but it was empty. His daughter told him that Snow was home so he assumed she was in their bedroom and made his way there. He noticed there was no light turned on because there was no light emanating through the space at the bottom of the door outside their room. So he gently and quietly opened the door thinking perhaps his wife might be sleeping. Sure enough she was.

James stood by the door for a few moments just watching her sleep. He noticed it was a restless sleep she was in, a slight frown marring her beautiful face. He was also hit by a wave of guilt when he noticed the tear tracks on her cheeks. He wanted to talk to her and say sorry to her until the world ended... But he didn't have the heart to wake her.

He turned around and was just about to step out when he heard her call out to him in a slight whisper, "James... You're home."

"Umm... Yeah, I just got in. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." James said, a little awkwardly.

"It's ok... I was waiting up for you, actually... I guess I must've fallen asleep." Snow said, sitting up in bed.

After a rather awkward moment, they both spoke up at the same time, "I'm sorry-"

They both chuckled nervously, both a little ill at ease with the situation. James decided to take the lead.

"I feel horrible about what happened today. I feel like the biggest tool leaving you at the bakery and walking off like that. Can you ever forgive me?" James pleaded.

"Forgive you? I'm the one who's sorry. Oh, James... If I could only press a rewind button and make it so none of it ever happened..." Snow said, sadly.

"I don't blame you for what happened... I _never_ did. If I blame anyone it's myself." James said, sitting next to his wife on their bed.

"Don't blame yourself. That night at the toll bridge... You did what you thought was right. It's not your fault that I was weak, or that I let myself be vulnerable."

"But you're not weak... At least no more than I am. Who knows what _I_ would've done had I been in your place... Probably something worse." James said.

"I'm not justifying what I did, but I didn't know how else to numb my heart that night. I just felt so broken up inside... The thought of you and Kathryn... Or of you and any woman together... I just didn't handle it well." Snow admitted to her husband.

"Well... I guess now I can relate." James said, wryly.

Snow took her husbands face in her hands, forcing him to look at her, "It meant _nothing_ to me. You have to believe that. I didn't tell you about it, at least not outright, because I knew you'd be jealous... And I admit, I didn't have the courage to deal with it then."

"Tell me one thing... Did you do it to get back at me?" James asked.

Snow thought about his question for a while, then finally answered, "I don't know... Maybe. I admit, I wasn't just hurt, I was angry. I guess deep down I thought if you and Kathryn were enjoying each other, who's to say I couldn't enjoy the same freedom... I've regretted it since."

"I was never with her you know... Not in _that_ way." James revealed to his wife, wanting to ease her mind.

She gave him a sad smile, "As much as I'm happy to hear that, in some ways it makes me feel worse. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, And I don't want you to feel bad. What's done is done. We can't change the past. We can only look forward. All of that happened at a time when we didn't know who we were. Let's not dwell on it anymore than we already have. Stop blaming yourself, and so will I. I promise, I'll set aside my petty jealousy as well. I promise, I won't give you another reason to shed one more tear." James said, taking his wife in his arms.

"Are we ok?" His wife asked him.

"We're more than ok. I love you more than anything. I'm sorry I ever gave you cause to doubt that." James said, kissing his wife with everything he had.

Snow seemed to want him to assure her with more than just words. She passionately kissed him back. Then proceeded to remove his shirt. She placed her hand on his broad chest, James felt his heart skip a beat beneath her palm. He examined her face and saw nothing but deep sincerity.

"Make love to me." His wife whispered in his ear.

He just smiled at her in answer. She certainly didn't have to tell _him_ twice. He should've known his wife would want physical reassurance. He was only too happy to oblige.

"I love you, Snow. Don't ever doubt it."

His wife took his hand, large, rough and callused when compared to her own, and placed it on her cheek, "I love you too, Charming." For a moment that seemed to stretch into forever, he looked into her eyes. He promised himself he'd make her forget about any other man, but him. Then with a groan, he pulled his beloved wife against him, and lowered his lips to hers. He and his wife held nothing back from each other. James gave her all of his heart and all of his soul as he slowly, and lovingly joined his body with hers. And all was as it should be.

_Later_

Snow was held in her husband's arms, drowsy with lovemaking. It truly amazed her just how wonderful and intense the whole experience was. She didn't have the words to describe her feelings when she and her husband were together like that. There were no words to express that heated union of body and soul.

She snuggled against him, her legs intimately entwined in his. Not so long ago she had been beneath him. She now lay like a baby opossum tucked against his side, her body completely and utterly relaxed. It astonished her how perfectly she fit in his arms, and how perfectly he fit in hers. The thought of it made her want to start making love with him all over again.

He was everything to her. She needed him more than she needed air. It was no small wonder she had felt so incomplete these last twenty eight years without him. She was so grateful he found it in himself to put the past behind them and set aside his jealousy. She knew she had a very special man... Some men would've held what she had done against her for the rest of their lives. But not James, not her Prince Charming. She shifted in his arms, and pressed her face more deeply into his chest, wanting to be even closer to him.

Her husband broke the silence, "Are you ok? You're awfully quiet."

"Hmm... I'm more than ok... I feel wonderful!" Snow said to her husband.

"Good. I'm glad." James said, kissing her on her forehead.

"James, I was wondering... What made you get over your anger and jealousy so quickly? I mean, a part of me didn't even expect you'd come home tonight." Snow asked.

"First of all, it doesn't matter how out of sorts I am, I will _always_ come home to you. I need you to remember that. And well, as for coming to my senses... We have our little girl to thank for that." James said.

"Emma?" Snow asked.

James chuckled, obviously finding his wife's surprise amusing, "Yes, darling. She searched all over the town for me, and when she finally found me at a local bar, she told me, in not so many words, that I was being dumb and to stop being that way."

Snow giggled, imagining what occurred between father and daughter, "Oh, Emma... She told me she had errands to run. I had no idea her errand was you."

"I have to admit, I'm a little jealous." James said, "It's obvious our daughter loves you very much and is fiercely protective of you... I can't say she feels the same for me."

"Oh, Charming... She just doesn't know you as well as she knows me. Be patient, it'll come. Just remember, we were really close friends before we even found out we were mother and daughter. Just give her time, ok?" Snow said, caressing her husband's face.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she's so close to you. It gives me peace of mind knowing she's just as protective of you as I am... I just wish that I had a chance to get to know her better like you did." James said.

"Don't worry, darling. You two have the rest of your lives to get used to being father and daughter. And because you're so close in age, I have no doubt you'll become great friends as well. I mean, just look at how much nicer she is to you now compared to when you first moved in." Snow said.

James agreed, "Yeah, we _have_ come a long way, I'll admit."

Snow started laughing all of a sudden, "You know, speaking of her being all protective of me... Did you know she threatened to, and I quote, kick Dr. Whale's ass for me?"

"That's my girl!" James said, pride in his voice, "But you're gonna have to tell her she'll need to get in line."

Snow just giggled, "Really?"

"Hell, yeah... I have an urge to bash that guy's face in! I can't believe the nerve of that arrogant bastard cornering you at the bakery today. And he _knew_ I was there too!" James said, his temper obviously rising.

"Really, Charming... You have to get rid of these murderous urges in you. First Regina, and now the doctor?" Snow said.

"I can't help it." Her husband said, sheepishly.

"Well, _help_ it. Otherwise the only time we'll be together is for conjugal visits at the local prison." Snow said, sarcastically.

And her husband just laughed. It was the sweetest sound in the world to her. And all was as it should be.

**To be continued...**

**Thanks so much for reading... Sorry it got a bit long there. The topic of Mary Margaret sleeping with Dr. Whale was something I needed to get off my chest. This chapter was as much therapy for me as entertainment for you. I hope you liked it. Feedback is much appreciated :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Title: Bid Memories Return**

**Spoilers: Anything up until Episode 7 is fair game. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time and I'm certainly not making any money off this fic.**

**Author's Notes: Thank you so much to everyone who followed along with me from the beginning. This was a labour of love for me and I'm so overwhelmed with all the positive feedback I've received the last month and a half. Your encouraging words were what kept my story going. Enjoy this final chapter... It's ninety nine percent fluff!**

**The Fourteenth and Final Chapter**

_Two months later_

It was three days before his wedding and James wasn't surprised by all the signs of bad luck that kept crossing his path the closer his wedding day got. It scared him somewhat, especially when he thought back to what happened to his first wedding... But he was determined to see it through. Mary Margaret Blanchard was going to be David Nolan's wife in three days come hell or high water!

"I don't care if the four horsemen of the apocalypse decide to descend upon earth on our wedding day. Nothing is going to stop us from getting married." James told his wife as he came into their bedroom. "Famine, war, pestilence and death will not stop me from marrying you."

Snow chuckled at her husband, "Aren't you being a little bit dramatic?"

"No." James answered.

"Honey, what exactly do you expect will go wrong?" Snow asked, as she approached him in nothing but her white, lace nightgown.

"How can you ask that? Especially after what happened at our first wedding." James said, throwing his hands up.

Despite the fact that James was in a bit of a foul mood, he couldn't help but be captivated by his beautiful wife. She had since grown her hair out again and looked almost the same as she did before they were cursed. Her dark hair gorgeously cascaded past her shoulders in loose shimmering waves. She was in his favourite nightgown that he admitted to himself left only a little for the imagination. God, how he adored her. There was always something about his wife, from the moment they met, that broke through his defenses and reached his heart.

Snow sat on his lap and put her arms around his neck. She fiddled aimlessly with the short lock of hair behind his ear. Her sweet body, pressed against his, almost made him forget what he was so upset about. Her feminine curves have always had that effect on him. "Talk to me, darling." Snow said to him.

"A black cat crossed my path today." James said, dejectedly.

"Charming, you don't honestly believe in that superstition do you?" Snow asked her husband.

"Oh, and I caught a glimpse of your wedding dress when Emma brought it home this afternoon." James said, ignoring his wife's question.

"Well, I wasn't wearing it. It's only bad luck if I was _in_ the dress when you saw it. And you know what, even if you did it wouldn't matter because there's no such thing as good or bad luck." Snow said.

"I just... I just don't want to take the chance. I want everything to go smoothly." James said.

"So do I, but I don't believe in bad luck." Snow said, playfully touching the tip of his nose with her own.

James was determined to prove his point, "And you know what, just an hour ago I accidentally broke Emma's hand mirror."

"Oh no, the ivory one? That's her favourite! You'd better replace that before she notices." Snow told her husband.

"Darling, you're missing the point. Breaking a mirror entails seven years of bad luck!" James said, exasperated.

"Charming, after the twenty eight years that we've just been through, trust me, a broken mirror is the least of my worries." Snow answered. "And anyway, I've never known you to be superstitious. I didn't think you believed in the stuff."

"I do when it comes to our wedding!"

James couldn't believe it, but his wife had the audacity to grin at him. "You're lucky that one of us still has a good head on their shoulders."

Snow got up from her husband's lap and sent him a seductive glance. She untied the back of her nightgown then proceeded to begin unbuttoning his shirt. "We're already married, James. I'm yours _now_. A legal document isn't going to make me anymore yours than I already am. Our marriage is sealed and consummated and Saturday's ceremony is a mere formality."

James couldn't help but lose his train of thought. His wife was certainly doing a good job of getting his mind off his worries. It wasn't long before he realized Snow had taken his shirt off and deposited it on the floor next to their bed. The little minx then began to work on his pants. He couldn't help it but his heart was racing. He noticed the self-satisfied look on his wife's face when she saw the effect she had on him. James knew that over the years Snow had always had a subtle way of controlling him, albeit skilfully, in her own sweet, loving way. He knew some men would've resented that from their wives. But James was too charmed by his, to bring himself to care.

"I know we're already married, and you've always been my wife in my heart. But I won't find peace until Saturday's over... Until you're legally mine. God, I can't wait for our wedding day to get here." James said.

"Well, I'm rather eager for the wedding _night_." Snow said, "What do you say we have a bit of practice? You know, just to make sure the wedding night goes without a hitch."

"You don't have to ask me twice." He answered.

"James," Snow whispered in her husband's ear, her arms around his neck, "Love me."

"I do... I always have." James answered his wife, as he covered her body with his own.

_The following morning_

"So what time will the boys meet us at Granny's?" Snow asked her daughter.

"They'll meet us there at one. I told David not to spoil Henry's lunch before then." Emma answered.

Snow and Emma were doing last minute preparations for the wedding which was only two days away. James took Henry out with him to do their part for the wedding. Snow was so glad that her wedding not only gave her and Emma time to bond, but it also gave her husband and grandson time to get to know one another better. _Grandson_... Wow... She was still getting used to that. The image of Henry all excited to spend a few hours with James melted her heart.

"Yeah, your father does have a tendency to spoil Henry whenever he gets a chance. I think it's his way of making up for the years he should've been spoiling you." Snow said.

"He _is_ wonderful with Henry..." Emma said, thoughtfully, "You know, I wonder a lot now about the childhood I could've had if you hadn't had to give me up. I used to always make myself believe that my birth parents were messed up druggies that would've just screwed me up even more had they tried to raise me... Now, it just makes me sad to realize I actually had amazing parents... And that we lost so many years together."

Snow embraced her daughter, "Oh, Emma... There's no sense in dwelling on the what ifs... What's done is done, we can't turn back time. But I promise you that we'll never be separated again. You found us. We're a family now, and all the stronger for it."

"I know."

"Anyway... I'm surprised Regina allowed Henry to spend some time with us." Snow said to Emma, trying to change the subject.

"She didn't. Henry told her he'd be at a classmate's house working on a school project." Emma answered.

"And she bought that?" Snow asked, incredulously.

"She wants to believe it, so she does." Emma said, chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Snow asked.

"I asked Henry the same thing a while back, and that's what he told me... Anyway..."

"Emma... Are you sure you should be encouraging Henry to lie to Regina like this? I mean, she _is_ his... guardian." Snow said, unable to say 'mother'.

"Considering the alternative which is to not see him at all... I'll take this for now." Emma said.

Snow realizing her daughter was right just shrugged her shoulders in answer.

"By the way, I'm sorry you and David can't have a real honeymoon. The fact that you're both stuck here in Storybrooke puts a damper on your options." Emma said.

Snow smiled, wryly, "Yeah well, what can we do? Besides, your father and I had a wonderful honeymoon the first time around... That is, aside from the fact that I was always sick in the mornings and then worried sick in the evenings thinking about my stepmother's impending curse."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... whoa. You were pregnant with me during your honeymoon? You and David _did _it before you got married?" Emma asked, looking incredulously at her mother.

Snow blushed at her daughter's inquiry, "Well... It was only that one time. And anyway, I was a princess not a saint... Whatever, just blame your father."

Emma just laughed, "I really can't picture you as the rebel princess... Or that my father would seduce an innocent young lady."

"You assume _he_ did the seducing... Anyway, you've just known me so long as Mary Margaret... Trust me, I wasn't nearly as docile as Princess Snow White." Snow told her daughter.

"Still..." Emma said, grinning at her mother.

"Alright, enough of that. No more teasing your mom, young lady. We've got a ton of things to finish before one o'clock and I intend to get it all done. What else do we have left to do?" Snow asked.

"We have to purchase some thank you cards for all the presents you're sure to get. We also have to get the last of the wedding favours... And oh yeah, we also have to pay for the reception hall. Other than that... We're pretty much done." Emma answered.

"Alright, then let's get going."

_The wedding day_

Snow woke up and stretched lazily in her bed. A small frown formed on her face when she realized she was alone. She then remembered that her husband had left her the night before so as to follow tradition and not see the bride the morning of the wedding.

My charming, superstitious prince, she thought with a sleepy smile. Her thoughts were interrupted when Emma came bursting into the room.

"Mary, what are you doing still in bed? You're getting married in two hours and you still have eye krispies!" Emma practically yelled.

Snow couldn't help it, but she burst out laughing, "Thanks, Emma. Don't I feel like a beautiful, blushing bride now."

"I'm serious! Get up!"

"Wow, I had no idea when I made you maid of honour that you'd take your job so seriously." Snow mumbled.

Emma just gave her a glare.

"Alright, alright, I'm getting up." Snow told her daughter.

"Aren't you even the least bit nervous? This is your wedding day after all." Emma said.

"I am... And I'm not. Remember, honey... Your father and I are already married. This is all just a formality. And besides, we have _two and a half hours_ to get ready. That my dear, is plenty of time."

"No, it isn't. This isn't fairytale land where you have hundreds of servants at your beck and call. You've got me. And that's all. So hurry up!" Emma said, completely exasperated.

"Ok, I'm coming, I'm coming." Snow said, knowing it was time to leave her nice warm bed.

_At the chapel, two and a half hours later_

Emma stood at the front of the chapel, next to the priest awaiting her parents' arrival. Henry stood across from her, looking ever so handsome in his rented tux. She could see the pride in his face at having been chosen as best man.

She had to admit that she was surprised Regina had allowed Henry to attend his grandparents' wedding. But then again, Henry was his mother's son. He would not have accepted 'no' as an answer, especially after being told he'd be the best man. And Emma knew Regina was desperate to keep Henry's affections, and so in the end she had let him attend the wedding.

Her father had told her how the queen had crashed her parents' wedding the first time around. Because of that, she had instructed the security guards not to let anyone in that wasn't on the guest list... So far, so good.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the organist began to play the wedding processional music. She looked up and saw her parents make their way down the aisle, her mother's arm, entwined with her father's. It was a sight she would never forget.

The look of pride etched on her father's face when he looked at her mother was one she would carve in her heart and keep for the rest of her days. Her mother looked gorgeous in her white chiffon wedding dress. There was an air of regality surrounding her parents. For the first time she saw her mother and father for the prince and princess they truly were.

She chuckled inwardly realizing that she herself was actually a princess... albeit a princess belonging to a world no longer in existence. When she was a little girl she had always wanted to be a princess... Life's little ironies, she mused.

When her parents reached the altar she walked up to them and embraced them both at the same time. "I love you... mom... dad. I'm so happy for you both."

Her mother started tearing up, obviously very touched by the gesture. She looked up to see her father smiling and looking very pleased. She gave them both a wink for good luck then stepped back and let them take centre stage so to speak. Emma looked at her son who gave her one of his patented, knowing grins.

The priest began his speech and the guests sat back down allowing the ceremony to proceed.

Emma watched her parents listen intently to the priest. It amazed her how much they loved each other. In the last several months she's been living with her parents, she bore witness to their complete and utter dedication to each other. One was only half a person without the other. They had overcome seemingly impossible odds to get to this moment. It was a moment they truly deserved.

After several more minutes of vows and promises, the ceremony was almost at an end. The priest, indicating that it was almost over, said to the groom, "You may now kiss the bride."

Emma watched her father look down at her mother with absolute devotion. There was a twinkle in her father's eyes and a knowing look in her mother's. It was as if they were communicating silently... An inside joke only they understood. It was rather... charming to watch.

And she wasn't the only one enthralled by her parents' affection for one another. The intense feelings between them seemed to cast a spell over the guests. Everyone was so silent, clearly anticipating that first kiss between husband and wife. She could've heard a pin drop.

Her father gently lifted her mother's chin and lowered his lips to hers. The moment their mouths touched she felt a cold rush of air seemingly go through her. It seemed she wasn't the only one as a loud murmur could be heard in the crowd. She turned to look at her parents who seemed oblivious to everything, still lost in each other's gaze.

Her parents turned back towards the priest waiting for him to continue, but the priest looked like he just saw a ghost. "Is everything alright, father?" Emma's mother asked.

Then a man in the crowd yelled, "Prince James!" Emma looked closer and realized it was Leroy.

Emma was about to say something, when another voice spoke out, "Princessa Snow White!" She looked to the back of the chapel and saw that it was Marco, the town's mechanic.

It couldn't be, could it? All the guests looked like they were coming out of a daze. Emma looked at her parents and both looked hopeful, obviously thinking the same thing she was.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Henry ran to his mother, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Oh... my... God." Emma couldn't help but say.

**_The End_**


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